


If, or How

by Celeste6



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-27 13:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 118,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15686277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celeste6/pseuds/Celeste6
Summary: Danny knows that Hawaii and vacation flings go hand in hand, even if neither of the people involved are on vacation. But if it's not a fling, how do they make things work?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and welcome to my first Archive posting! This story is one I posted elsewhere and it's complete, so the chapters will go up pretty quickly. Also, yes, NASA does some work in Hawaii, including the very mission mentioned here. The rest of it? So, so made up.

Chapter One

Detective Danny Williams looked over at the restaurant bar from the spot where the whole team sat outside, craning his head to catch a glimpse of his daughter.

"She's fine, Danno."

"She's been gone for over ten minutes, Steven. She was going to run an errand for you, I might add. Given that you are a trouble magnet, I can only assume that whatever you gave her to do has now gotten her in trouble."

Steve shook his head. "I can see her, Danny. She's fine."

Danny waved a hand. "Your definition of fine leaves something to be desired, my friend."

Steve rolled his eyes. "I'll go check on her." He started to stand, but Danny waved him back down.

"No, I got it." He looked around the table at the rest of the team. "Who needs another?" Lou waved his hand in a no, and Chin pointed at his still full bottle. Kono said, "Thanks, brah," and passed him her empty glass.

He walked to the bar, set the bottle and glass down, and gave a nod to the bartender. He looked over at the end of the bar to see his 13-year old daughter chatting animatedly with a woman sitting in the last seat. Grace had a bottle of soda in one hand, and something flat and round in the other. The woman looked to be in her early-30s, dark auburn hair twisted up in a bun low on her neck, and dressed in a suit, though the jacket hung over the back of her chair. She leaned forward, describing something to Grace using broad hand gestures carefully avoiding a glass and plate in front of her. He raised his eyebrows at the bartender, silently asking.

"There's a whole group from NASA here. Apparently the Navy is working with them on a test mission. Grace saw her NASA pin and asked if she was a rocket scientist."

Grace caught sight of her father and Danny heard her say, "You should meet my dad." He met her halfway, where Grace grabbed his hand and dragged him the rest of the few steps.

"Danno, this is Cassie. She works for NASA!" She held up a blue patch, on which Danny could see something that looked like a cross between a rocket and a flying saucer. "Look, she gave me this!"

Danny tilted his head to look at the patch, but before he could reply, Grace continued. "Cassie says that there are actually a bunch of people in Hawaii doing space stuff. She's here for almost two weeks to talk to all of them. And she says that cheerleading is really all about science and math, so I should learn about angles and momentum and Newton's laws. And she likes pizza, so you should tell her where all the best places to eat are."

Danny looked at the woman who had obviously captured his daughter's attention, and saw that she was trying to hide a grin. "Cheerleading is all about math and science?" he asked.

"Of course it is! How do you think a pyramid works? Or how you know how high or how hard to do a basket toss? And how to tell where you'll land?"

Danny nodded once. "Never thought of it like that."

Grace tugged at his hand. "Can we watch the launch when it happens?"

Danny looked at Cassie with raised eyebrows. She took her cue well. "Grace, the launch happens pretty early in the morning. And you probably won't be able to see much since the range is closed."

Grace looked determined, but nodded politely. "I'll ask my teacher if we can watch coverage of it later in the day."

"That's a great idea. If everything goes well, we should have pictures of it when it lands."

"There you go, Monkey. We'll catch the pictures of it after it lands." Danny spun Grace around with the hand still holding his. "Now, why don't you go tell Uncle Steve about science and cheerleading. He was looking for you."

"Okay, Danno. Thanks, Cassie. It was really cool to meet you." She looked at her dad. "Don't forget to tell her all the good places to go."

As she ran back outside, Danny studied Cassie. "I think you just got my kid hooked on science."

She smiled. "All part of the job." She held out a hand. "Cassandra Wallace."

Danny shook her hand. "Danny Williams." He noticed the black folder with the restaurant's name on it laying on the bar in front of her, the pen on top and a sliver of paper peeking out.

"Almost every kid gets science, they just have to find a way to connect with it. Grace told me she likes sports and cheerleading, and there really is a lot of science there. Plus," she tilted her head and shrugged, "I know astronauts."

"Which gets you all the cool points."

"Exactly!" She smiled at him, and Danny realized he did not want to go back outside to the rest of his team.

He leaned against the bar. "So NASA is actually launching something here?"

"If by launching you mean sending up a rocket-powered payload on a really big balloon, then yes." She chuckled at his bemused expression. "It's a technology development test project that we might use for future planetary exploration missions."

"Ah ha. So you really are a rocket scientist."

She laughed. "Actually, no. I'm an engineer, but right now I'm managing a program out of Headquarters in DC. It's budget and bureaucracy stuff. Mostly I talk a lot."

"Thus you knowing what to say to Grace."

"Yeah, but you've got a way cool kid there. She's fun to talk with. Reminds me of one my nieces."

Jai stopped in front of Danny, carrying a tray with two bottles and a glass on it. Balancing the tray on one arm, he picked up the black folder in front of Cassie. "Can I get you anything else, Ms. Wallace?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks." She smiled at the man behind the bar, who then turned to Danny.

"Detective Williams, you want me to take these out to your table?"

"Thanks, Jai, that'd be great. Tell my partner it's going on his tab." He turned back to Cassie, to find green eyes studying him.

"Detective?"

"Ah, yeah. I work as part of a special crime task force here in Hawaii." He gestured over his shoulder to the outdoor patio. "That's the rest of my team out there."

"So, you're telling me of all the places I could have gone tonight, I managed to find the cop bar?" She grinned at him. "My brother will be delighted." At Danny's questioning look, she continued. "He's a deputy sheriff in Virginia."

"Older brother?" She nodded, and Danny huffed a laugh. "Then he'd probably be more terrified that you found the cop bar." He put one elbow on the bar and leaned against it. "The first time I found one of my little sisters hanging around the cop bar back home, I had a fit."

"And did it stop her?" The slightly gleeful look on her face said that she already knew the answer.

Danny sighed. "No."

She laughed. "We little sisters are such pains in the ass, aren't we?"

"I'm literally halfway around the world, and still they manage to drive me crazy sometimes," Danny groused, but fondly. "Do you see your brother often?"

"Not often enough. He's about four hours south of DC, so I drive down when I can." She studied him. "You said back home. I take it Hawaii is not your native location?"

He lifted his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Can't decide if I'm offended or pleased you didn't pick up on the accent."

She tilted her head and wrinkled her nose just a bit. "Well… I did, but I'm Southern and over-polite, so I didn't want to assume."

"Ah, well," he tapped his chest proudly, "I am New Jersey born and bred."

"All things considered, I totally understand running away to a tropical paradise." She looked at him with wide eyes and just a hint of teasing grin.

Danny shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you dissing Jersey?"

"I mean, you do have the Boss, Bon Jovi, and good pizza in your favor. On the other hand," she shrugged, "it is Jersey."

"You do understand that I can arrest you, right?"

Cassie grinned. "I'll take my chances." Danny couldn't help but smile back at her, and he leaned in a little closer. Cassie put an elbow on the bar, which turned her more towards Danny, and propped her chin on her upturned hand. "How'd you end up here, Jersey boy?"

"My ex-wife moved here with her new husband. Which would have been fine - great, even - except that my beloved kid moved here with her." He looked out to the patio, catching a glimpse of his daughter's head close to his partner's and smiling softly. He looked back to see Cassie watching him. "Yes, I am a sap when it comes to my little girl."

"You're a dad. That's a good thing." She smiled at him, but before that smile could turn into what Danny thought might have been a moment, Cassie's smile turned into a huge yawn. She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. Please don't take this as commentary on our conversation."

He nodded sagely. "You're still on east coast time, aren't you? When you did you get in?

She crinkled her eyes, counting in her head. "Four hours ago? Five? Is it still Sunday?"

"Impressive. Trying to stay awake til a reasonable time?"

"Thought it might be bad form to fall asleep at 2. Then I'd wake up at 10 p.m., and though I am a night owl, that's a bit ridiculous."

"It's 7. Go to sleep already."

She nodded slowly. "Was about to leave, until I found myself in this fascinating conversation with a Jersey cop." She hesitated. "Which, to be honest, was not what I was expecting when I came down here to get dinner and keep myself awake for another hour."

"We Jersey cops have a way of doing the unexpected." Danny joked. He tapped a finger on the bar. "Except for where we hang out off the clock. We're boring and predictable that way. You know, in case you decide to have dinner here again."

Cassie nodded seriously. "I did rather enjoy my dinner here."

"Okay, then. Maybe I'll see you again, you know, around dinner time. Possibly tomorrow. Or the next day." Danny shrugged. "You know."

She grinned, then shook her head. "Could be a late dinner. I've got this conference tomorrow - though I'm hoping to escape the mandatory fun evening social event."

"We spend a lot of time here." He tapped his chest. "Predictable."

She slid off the chair. "See you around, Detective." She tossed her jacket over her arm, waved once at Jai behind the bar, and began walking towards the door.

Danny watched her go, so he saw when she turned briefly at the door and looked back over her shoulder at him. She smiled, but even from the short distance Danny could see her forehead furrow like she was trying to figure out what had just happened, and then she was out the door.

Danny stood still for a long moment, hands stuck in his pockets. Finally, he shook his head, and slowly turned to walk back outside where he sat down quietly next to Grace.

"Where you been, partner?" Steve asked. "Grace was telling us that NASA is doing some test here."

Danny tried for his usual grumpy tone, but it didn't sound quite right to him. "They are, and with our luck, someone will try to steal the thing or blow up the launch pad before it happens."

Steve laughed. "Always looking on the bright side, Danno."

Danny waved a hand at him dismissively and continued. "There's a whole group of NASA staff here from the mainland for the launch and Grace's new friend is one of them." He wrapped an arm around his daughter. "I think she might have even convinced this one to do her math homework without complaining."

"Danno," Grace's tone of voice conveyed exactly what she thought of math homework. "Doing math for cheerleading is one thing, but if it's homework, it's not fun."

"She's got you there, Williams," Lou said.

Danny huffed a laugh. "Yes, but fun is not the point of homework, isn't that right, my darling child." Grace rolled her eyes.

"Math for cheerleading?" Kono asked. Grace nodded enthusiastically and started to tell the rest of the group about what Cassie had told her about how math and science figured into cheerleading. Danny tried not to react every time Grace mentioned Cassie, tried to hold up his end of the conversation. He talked about how much he hated math until his eighth grade algebra teacher showed him a different way to think about it.

Steve told a story about one of his professors at the Naval Academy, who made them convert imperial to metric measurements in their head while running laps to truly understand the distances. Those stories turned into more about favorite teachers and classes they hated.

The talk went on around Danny, who sat content to mostly just listen, occasionally laughing with his friends at their stories. At one point, he looked up and caught Chin studying him with a small smile. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his friend, and nodded him back to the conversation.


	2. Chapter Two

Danny pushed the doors open and waved a hand at Steve sitting in his office as he walked past. Steve got up and followed him. "Hey, partner. You busy today?"

"Depends. It's paperwork and catching up, unless we get a case." Danny dropped his car keys and phone on his desk. "Is it bad that I'm hoping we get a case?"

Steve grinned at him. "How about if I gave you something to do that would get you out of paperwork?"

"Does it get me out of the paperwork, or does it just delay it?"

Steve pursed his lips and shrugged. "Does it matter?"

Danny thought for a second and shrugged in return. "I'd rather you volunteer to do the paperwork for me in return for whatever crazy thing it is you want me to do."

"It's not crazy."

"Our definitions of crazy generally differ, my friend." Steve waited patiently until Danny sighed loudly. "Okay, what is it?"

"The governor has asked for a member of our team to participate in an event today."

"Oh, yes, this sounds promising."

"His Council on Innovation and Technology is hosting a gathering of industry and government officials from the mainland to showcase Hawaii as a good location for new businesses."

"A gathering."

"A meeting, if you will. Our good friend - and boss - the governor has asked Five-0 to send a representative to talk about how we use technology to help keep the island safe."

"Yeah, that would be Chin."

"He was going to do it, but now he's testifying in the Barrett case today."

Danny sighed again. "Why me?"

"Because your charm and wit will no doubt win over everyone in attendance." Danny stared at him, eyebrows raised. Steve laughed. "Okay, because I hate these things. Plus, you actually have a story to tell about moving out here. You have a kid in a local school." Steve clapped a hand on the other man's shoulder. "And, when you let yourself be, you can be a charming guy."

Danny closed his eyes. Sighed - again - and opened his eyes to glare at Steve. "I hate you."

"I know. But you'll do it anyway."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes. I will do this great favor that you ask of me. If," he punctuated the words with a finger pointed toward Steve, "you will do my paperwork."

Steve nodded. "Done. Let me fill you in on the details of the event."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Danny was expecting a room full of suits, and there were a few, but mostly the people at the governor's meeting were dressed more island-friendly. He recognized one of the governor's staff, a native Hawaiian woman in her mid-50s, talking with a group of attendees and nodded at her in greeting. She excused herself from the group and met him near the edge of the room.

"Detective Williams, I'm Linda Hale; we met at the governor's last fundraiser." She reached out to shake Danny's hand. "I'm the Director of the Governor's Council on Innovation and Technology. Thank you so much for agreeing to participate today. Let me introduce you to our moderator, who can tell you more about the agenda. I know the Governor asked you to speak to the group as a whole, but I hope you'll stay for the entire day, sit in on some of the workshops, and lend your expertise to our small group sessions."

"Ah, small group sessions?"

She looked kindly at him. "We'll ask everyone to break out into groups we've assigned, mixing up their fields of expertise. Hopefully that will encourage them to build a more comprehensive network and result some innovative thinking in the group exercises."

"See, you had me right up until group exercise." Danny smiled at her to take some of the sting out of his words.

"I promise, it's less touchy feely than it sounds. We're focusing on solving local problems, so we'd like some of local experts to offer their thoughts."

"You have a group focusing on crime?"

"Actually, yes, but we're trying to let our experts expand their networks, too. So you'll be in the emergency management group."

Danny nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

"Wonderful." She directed him toward a younger man, who welcomed him warmly and went over the agenda for the morning, answering questions about the program and explaining his introduction.

About an hour later, Danny realized that it was almost his turn to speak. The morning had been more interesting that he expected. The head of the state's Small Business Council had talked about the variety of businesses on the different islands, and how the state encouraged new businesses that hired local residents.

There were a few representatives from the surrounding military facilities, who talked about the need to hire the spouses of military men and women stationed there, noting the vast array of skills and experience those people brought with them.

In a more fun presentation, one of the island's biggest coffee growers and the brewmaster from a new brewery on the Big Island spoke about a collaboration they were working on to create a local microbrew.

Danny applauded along with the crowd as the speaker before him left the stage. The moderator stepped back up to the podium and thanked the speaker. He then turned and waved Danny up on stage.

"By now, you've heard how we like to do things a bit differently here than our cousins on the mainland. We like to apply that thinking to law enforcement as well, and it's worked well for us. Six years ago, a special task force was appointed by the governor to tackle crime in a more strategic fashion, and their work has been instrumental in bringing down organized crime groups and human and drug trafficking rings, and in making the islands a safer place to live and do business. To tell us more about their work, I'm honored to introduce Detective Danny Williams."

Danny shook hands with the moderator as they traded places. He stood behind the podium and lifted one hand in a brief greeting to the crowd. "Um, good morning. I was asked to speak a little about how we use technology as part of the Governor's special task force on crime, or as we're known Five-0. Technology is absolutely critical to what we do. It's something we use every day, and I am so not the person to talk about how it works. To me, it's like magic." He emphasized the last word with a flashy wave of his hands. The crowd laughed.

"I may be the worst person to explain the how behind the magic, but that makes me the best person to talk about how important it is that our tech be both useful and usable. Solving crimes takes the same skills it always has: determination, instinct, a willingness to keep asking questions, and the ability to find the right questions to ask. Technology is just another tool."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "You might think that all the tech we have makes our jobs easier. And - most of the time - it does. But if we didn't back it up with our people, the tech wouldn't matter." One hand lifted, palm up. "The machines analyze evidence, but it's the person who carefully looked through a crime scene to collect it and the person who looks at the analysis and remembers that it matches something from an unsolved case three months back to make the machine's work mean anything. Our human connection - to our community, to our team, to the victims and their families - is at the foundation of both what we do and how we do it."

He looked over the crowd. "So you may have noticed that I am not from around here." He got a laugh from the attendees. "If any of you are from Jersey - or even New York - feel free to come find me later today." He grinned at them. "And if you brought pizza or bagels with you, please come find me." Another laugh, even warmer. "Things move differently out here. Island time isn't a saying, it's just the way things are. That doesn't mean we don't have some of the smartest, sharpest, hardest-working people in the country here - we do. Many of them are from here, many of them call some part of the mainland home, but they're all here to get something done."

Danny talked for a few more minutes about Five-0's work, and how they fit into the state's law enforcement structure. He spoke about the decrease in crime, giving much of the credit to local organizations like HPD. He wrapped up by talking about how the governor's trust and confidence made it possible for them to try mixing innovative methods with good old fashioned police work, and how they returned that trust by working hard for the people of Hawaii.

He thanked the audience, who gave him an enthusiastic round of applause. He shook the moderator's hand and returned to his seat on the front row.

"Thank you, Detective Williams. If I could one more round of applause for all our excellent speakers this morning, we're going to take a quick break then move on to our small group sessions."

Danny was immediately surrounded after the moderator dismissed the group for a break. A couple of mainland business owners had questions about the crime statistics he'd used, and a few other people wanted to tell him they enjoyed his talk.

He spent a few minutes chatting with people, then as he was getting ready to walk into the other room, someone just behind him said, "Detective Williams, can I introduce you to another one of our attendees?"

Danny, recognizing Linda Hale's voice, turned to say sure and found not only Ms. Hale, but another familiar face there, with a small, conspiratorial grin directed at him.

Linda said, "This is Cassandra Wallace. She's heads up NASA's Technology Innovation program."


	3. Chapter Three

Cassie held out her hand. "Detective Williams, it's such a pleasure. I really enjoyed your remarks."

Danny shook her hand, but before he could say anything, Linda put a hand on Cassie's other arm. "I'm so sorry to introduce you and run off, but I need to catch one of our small group moderators before we get the groups started."

Cassie shook her head. "Totally understand. Hopefully the detective doesn't mind entertaining me for a few minutes."

"I think I can handle it," Danny said. Linda smiled at both of them, turned and walked away. Danny cocked an eyebrow at Cassie and said, "I thought you had a rocket to launch."

"I have a technology demonstration mission launch on a high altitude balloon to watch on Friday. But the powers that be decided to make full use of the investment to send me all the way out here, so I have multiple events on my dance card. Two conferences, three briefings, a handful of interviews, and too many meetings to count."

"You know, people usually come out here to have fun, sit on the beach, see the scenery." Danny noticed that her hair was up in a bun again and she was definitely not dressed for the beach.

"Most people don't get to come to Hawaii for work." She waved a hand in dismissal. "It's fine. I'll have a little free time here and there. A week near the beach is better than a week in an office any way you look at it."

"Not if you don't actually get to the beach," he replied. She rolled her eyes. Danny put a hand on his chest. "Not that I'm one to talk, though. I believe too much sun and fresh air and crystal clear blue water is detrimental to a person."

Cassie laughed. "Next you'll tell me you don't like pineapple."

Danny shot her a surprised look. "Have you been talking to my partner?"

Cassie laughed harder. "No, seriously. You don't like pineapple?" He glared at her, and she grinned back at him. "Avoid the buffet table then. I think they're trying to show us just how many ways Hawaiian pineapple can be used."

He sighed. "Please tell me there's no pineapple in the coffee."

"None at all. But I'll try it first if it'll make you feel better."

Danny raised a hand, indicating that she should lead the way. "I'm trusting you, NASA. Don't let me down."

Over by the tables set out for the break, Danny could see that Cassie wasn't joking about the pineapple - it really was everywhere. He stopped a few steps away and glared at the table. Cassie realized he'd dropped behind her; she veered off to the left, calling "This way, Detective," over her shoulder. Danny followed her to a long table off to the side of the room, where an array of gleaming carafes sat lined up.

Cassie stopped in front of the table with a flourish of her hand. "We have macadamia nut coffee, coconut coffee, a lovely kona blend, dark roast, light roast… I'm pretty sure there's a cold brew around here somewhere, too."

Danny grimaced. "Anything that's just, you know, coffee?"

Cassie took pity on him and pointed towards a couple of carafes in the middle of the line. "Try that one." He raised his eyebrows at her in question. "Trust me."

Danny reached for the coffee carafe and a mug with a Hawaii CIT logo on the side. Cassie watched him out of the corner of her eye as he poured the coffee while she grabbed another mug and one of the carafes further down the table. She carefully poured her coffee and waited for him.

He nodded at her mug. "Coconut or macadamia?"

"Dark roast, kona blend. I'm not much for flavored coffee."

Danny pursed his lips. "Woman after my own heart."

She tilted her head. "Only if you like reach-out-and-slap-you coffee, Detective. I tend to drink it too strong for everyone else I know."

"Danny." She looked over in a sharp question. Danny looked back at her levelly. "It's Danny." He held her gaze for a long moment, noticing that she had the same look on her face as when she left Sidestreet the night before.

She nodded slowly. "Danny." She narrowed her eyes and thought about whether or not he'd called her by her first name. "Cassie. I mean…" she trailed off.

"Cassie." He cocked his head. "Not Cassandra?"

She shrugged and said wryly, "My mother calls me Cassandra when I'm in trouble." Danny laughed. "I use it for business, but my friends all call me Cassie."

"Okay, Cassie it is." He looked down at his mug and took a sip of the coffee, then looked back at her in surprise.

"Told you to trust me. Next to this one," she held up her mug, "that one is my favorite." She took a sip of her coffee. "Though, full disclosure, I may have tried four or five - or six - different kinds of coffee already this morning." More surprise from Danny, and she grinned at him. "I've been up since way-too-early. It's entirely possible that I'm running on caffeine alone right now."

Danny leaned in close and studied her, eyes narrowed. Cassie, confused, refused to take a step back, but after shifting her eyes back and forth to see if there was any approaching threat she had missed, finally asked, "Everything okay?"

Danny shrugged and leaned back. "Threat assessment. Just seeing if you had started to vibrate yet." He got a startled laugh from Cassie as he took another long sip of coffee, watching her evenly over the edge of his mug with a small smile playing on his lips.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, thrown off more by his proximity than by being teased. Not that she objected to the proximity… "I am not vibrating."

Danny thought it was cute that her accent suddenly got stronger. He grinned at her. "Not yet, anyway." Upbeat music suddenly sounded through the room and a few people began moving towards side rooms. "What session are you in? I might need to warn them."

He could have sworn she muttered "smartass" before answering, "Emergency management. I know it sounds weird for NASA to be talking emergency management, but we've got some programs that are dual-use, and I've heard about a few companies out here that I think we might want to partner with."

Danny stared at her. "So, at the risk of you thinking I'm following you around, because I swear I didn't know I was going to be here until about two hours ago, I'm in that same group."

She studied him. "You didn't know you were going to be here?"

He shook his head. "Not until I walked into the office this morning. One of my teammates was supposed to be here."

"Lucky you." She pointed down the hall. "Shall we go meet the rest of our group?" He nodded, and gestured for her to lead the way. As they walked, Danny found himself agreeing with her about his luck.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The discussion in their small group was lively. After introductions, a few members of local emergency response groups, had talked about some of the challenges they faced. They group brainstormed ideas to solve some of those problems.

The head of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management brought up some of the new apps that people were using following disasters, natural or otherwise, which led to a discussion of how social media might be used. The group had started off divided into two camps: one that thought social media could be adapted to anything, and another that questioned its actual usefulness in emergency events.

After debating for a bit, they'd ended up focusing on how social media could be used to communicate a specific situation to people.

"Why can't you use social media to warn people to stay away from a certain area?" The question was raised by a young man who had introduced himself as the CEO of a tech startup looking to relocate to one of the islands.

Danny tilted his head. "I'm sure you could, but even social media can't keep up with some situations."

"We could design an app to post live updates - like a police scanner, but online."

Cassie jumped in. "But that only works if someone can feed the data to the app. I can't imagine live tweeting a bank robbery." Danny flipped his hand out and up as if to say, there, exactly. She nodded at him. "But I heard that social media was really effective the last time there was a tsunami warning."

The woman sitting next to her, who was an app developer with a local company, nodded. "That and the warning text that automatically goes to mobile phones set to receive EMS messages."

"Like the warning we get for tornadoes," Cassie noted. "So if there's time for people to act…"

"Get out of the way, or prepare somehow…" the young man added.

Cassie nodded. "Use social media. But otherwise, the faster something happens, the harder it's going to be for EMS and law enforcement to use it effectively real time."

Danny had been pleasantly surprised at the discussion in their session. He'd learned a few things, and had some ideas to bring back to the team about how to work better with some of the other local agencies. The other people in the group were smart and interesting, and Danny was glad Linda had put him in this group.

Plus, he had a front row seat to the professional whirlwind that was Cassie Wallace. She'd offered the HDEM director a meeting with one of her guys to talk dual use technology, and had received an invitation to stop by and tour the Emergency Operations Center in turn. She'd talked to a few of the tech entrepreneurs and convinced them to consider hosting one of the NASA hackathons. And she'd deftly kept him involved in the group discussion when he would have been just as happy sitting back and observing.

He did sit back and watch her as the session ended, and she all but pounced on the app developer, telling her she needed to do something or other - honestly, Danny wasn't paying attention to what she was saying, but was just enjoying watching her talk with everyone that had lined up to meet the person from NASA.

Jack Kahele, the HDEM director, sat down next to Danny and nodded at Cassie. "Something tells me that one is a force of nature." Danny huffed a laugh. Jack said, "You two known each other long?"

Danny looked at him, a little surprised. "Um, no, actually. It's a funny story, I guess. We met briefly yesterday, but I didn't know I was going to be here today, and when I found out I was doing this, I didn't realize it was the thing she had mentioned doing today."

"Well, you should come with her when stops by the EOC," Jack said. "We'd be glad to have Five-0 see how we do things."

"Thanks, Jack. Come by Five-0 anytime, too. Might be good to talk about how we can help in emergency situations."

Jack laughed. "It seems McGarrett already has you in the middle of any emergency situations we get. In fact, I think you all might be the cause of some of them!"

Danny rolled his eyes, and took the teasing. "Yes, well, we can't help it if the bad guys like to do things like create tsunamis." He waved a hand. "Speaking of tech used for nefarious purposes."

Jack leaned over and clapped him on the shoulder, still laughing. "We each have our specialties." He sat back and looked thoughtful. "But you're right. In some disasters - the purely natural ones," he raised his eyebrows at Danny, emphasizing the point, "it's all hands on deck. We haven't really had one of those in Honolulu for a while."

"For which I am extremely grateful," Danny said. "We'll talk. Come by the office, or," he shrugged, "let's do it over beers after work. I'm sure the rest of the team will have some thoughts, too."

Jack held out his hand and Danny shook it firmly. "Done. Catch you later, Danny." He stood and walked out the room, pausing to shake Cassie's hand and tell her he'd see her in a few days.

Danny could tell that Cassie was trying to wrap up her conversation with the one guy left in the room, and he agreed with her earlier statement that she was over-polite. Not that he didn't think she could handle herself, and the guy seemed more over-eager than threatening, but still. He argued with himself about intervening, then decided he'd do it for Kono or Catherine, so he stood and walked over.

"Hey, NASA," he said to get her attention.

"Hey, Five-0," she said brightly in response. She put a hand on Danny's arm, and said, "Danny, this is Trey; he works for a company on the mainland that's thinking about moving out here. Trey, this is Detective Danny Williams."

Trey held out a hand. "Hey, man."

Danny shook it, nodded politely to Trey, and said, "Sorry to interrupt, but didn't you say…"

She picked up the cue almost before he was done giving it. "Yes, thank you. I've got to go meet Susan before she sends out a search party for me." She turned back to Trey. "It was great to chat. Take a look at that website, okay? Really nice to meet you."

"No problem. Maybe I'll see you around at one of the other sessions."

"Great. See you later, then." Cassie looked at Danny, who motioned for her to go ahead.

When they got out of the room, Danny said quietly, "Was that okay?" Cassie looked at him, puzzled. "You looked like you were done with that conversation, he looked like he wasn't - was it okay that I stepped in?"

Understanding dawned on Cassie's face. "Yes. Definitely, totally okay. I suck at wrapping up conversations. As long as I've been doing this, it still feels awkward to just go, 'okay, then, see you around!'"

"I didn't want to overstep."

Cassie stopped and really looked at him. "You didn't. I appreciate the assist." She said more lightly, "Personally, I think conferences should work on the buddy system: everyone has a wingman to get them into some conversations and get them out of others."

Danny nodded, but before he could say anything else, heard "There you are," from behind them. Cassie said, pointing behind her, "And I really was supposed to catch up with Susan, so you weren't wrong." She turned and greeted her co-worker with, "How was your session?"

The tall, black woman walking up to them said, "It would have been better if I'd been able to sit through the whole thing." She held out a smartphone to Cassie.

Cassie sighed and took it, then gestured to the woman. "Detective Danny Williams, Susan Bouey. Susan and I work in the same office at headquarters in DC; she runs our tech transfer program." Cassie looked down at the phone while Susan held out her hand to Danny, who shook it. Susan said, "Great speech this morning."

Danny shrugged. "Thanks. I'm mostly glad I didn't get up there and freeze."

Cassie handed the phone back to Susan after reading the email on the screen. "I'll call Alan later and get him to fix it."

"Copy that," Susan said. "You both headed into lunch?"

"Sounds good to me," Cassie said, looking at Danny.

He nodded, and gestured for the two to lead the way, but then felt his phone vibrate. He checked it and saw a text from Chin. He held out a hand to Cassie, just brushing her arm. "Hey, I'll catch up with you in a minute. I want to check in with the office."

Cassie nodded and said, "Tell them everyone is very impressed with Five-0 now." When Danny rolled his eyes, she grinned and added, "We'll save a you a place at the table."

Danny waited until the two women were walking away before turning to find a quieter spot. He dialed the phone, and when he heard Chin answer, he said, "Hey buddy, I hear you bribed the DA to fix it so you would need to testify today."

Chin laughed. "I was actually looking forward to speaking at the conference. Thanks for covering for me, Danny."

"It's been interesting."

"Interesting good, or interesting I owe you a beer?"

"Ah, good. Don't tell Steve, because he promised to do my paperwork in exchange, but I've enjoyed the day so far. I have a couple of ideas to run past you, too."

"Can't wait to hear them. I was going to offer to come over now that I'm out of court, but it sounds like you're good."

Danny hesitated. "Yeah, if you don't mind, I think I'll stay for the rest of it."

Of course, Chin heard that pause. "Everything okay?"

"Surprisingly, it's been a useful morning." As Danny thought about it, he realized that he really was glad to be there, and not just because he was enjoying the company of one particular person at the event. "Um, everything good there?"

"The trial's going well. Grover and Kono are helping HPD follow up on a tip, and Steve is catching up on stuff. You're not missing anything exciting."

"If something critical comes up, I can leave, okay?"

"Got it. And if you change your mind and want to tap out, let me know."

"Thanks, babe." Danny hung up, dropped the phone in his pocket, and followed the rest of the group to lunch.


	4. Chapter Four

Danny set his plate down on the round high top table, nodded to Susan and Cassie, and introduced himself to the other two conference attendees. They shared a few minutes of small talk, and in a break in the conversation, Cassie leaned toward Danny, her arm brushing his, as she glanced over his plate. He looked sideways at her, eyebrows raised.

She grinned. "Checking for pineapple. It's a sneaky little fruit, you know. I swear it was trying to hide in the salad."

It was his turn to roll his eyes at her teasing. "Damn good thing I'm not eating salad then."

Linda stopped by the table, chatting with everyone asking about where they were staying or their plans for the evening, offering suggestions. When she heard Susan liked jazz, she recommended a small club downtown, not too far from Susan's hotel. "My husband loves jazz; this is favorite place. Being Monday, it shouldn't be crowded."

Susan looked at Cassie. "What do you think? Jazz tonight?"

Cassie shook her head. "You should definitely go, but after being cooped up all day, I think I'm going to go for a walk."

"We can walk there and back?"

"Mmm, I need to get outside for longer than that. I may go down to the beach. I've been told," she looked pointedly at Danny, "that it's what one does when one is in Hawaii. Besides, if I don't do something active, I'm going to fall asleep at 8 again."

Linda said, "The beach at night is beautiful. The Waikiki stretch will probably be a little crowded, but there are a few quiet places if you'd rather avoid the nightlife." She reached out and patted Cassie's arm. "And at the risk of sounding like your mother, just be mindful if you're headed out on your own, please."

Cassie smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am."

Linda looked at the rest of the group and said, "You all enjoy the rest of your lunch; the next session starts in 30 minutes, so you've got plenty of time to mingle."

"You mean catch up on email." The other man at the table tapped his smartphone lying on the table.

"That, too." Linda smiled and moved off to talk with the group at the table next to theirs.

Danny wanted to echo Linda's advice to Cassie, but before he could say anything, the man next to him, who was the CFO for a company on the mainland, turned and asked about some of the stats he'd talked about during his speech. They chatted for a few minutes, while the others talked about the planned afternoon sessions.

He thought he'd wait until after lunch, but when they were all finished, the group broke up to check email or make phone calls before the next session started. Cassie had stepped away to take a call; she walked back to the table, still on the phone, but Danny heard her tell whoever was on the other end that she was going to put them on mute for a minute.

"All good?" Susan asked.

"Getting there. Alan and I are going over the numbers, and I'll jump on the staff meeting after that." She looked at Danny while she gathered her bag. "Are you staying for the afternoon?"

He nodded and said seriously, "I heard they got actual experts to speak this afternoon."

She grinned at him. "Take notes for me in case I miss it, okay? Can't wait to hear how they beat this morning."

Danny took that as a promise that he'd see her later. He nodded and waited until she was out of sight before he sighed. This day was definitely taking a different direction that what he'd expected when he walked into the office that morning.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

All the conference attendees were still gathered in the large room for few minutes before they split off again into small groups, having been asked to wait before they left for their next small group sessions.

Cassie caught Danny's eye from across the room. She'd slipped into the room just as the last afternoon speaker was finishing her talk, and he'd immediately seen her. It was almost as if he'd been watching for her, and she tried not to think about the warm feeling she got at that realization.

He gave her a small wave, and raised his eyebrows at the stage as if to ask what was about to happen. She shrugged once and turned to the stage.

The moderator called for their attention, and introduced another speaker. Who took the stage, and encouraged them all to and up and stretch. He then directed them to sit down. Once they'd done that, he asked them to stand up again. He shook his head at the ripples of people standing and waved them back down.

He then stood in front of them like a conductor, and made a broad 'stand-up' gesture.

Most of the room laughed at least a little in surprise, and then in amusement as the room rose in one big wave instead of random ripples.

Their conductor applauded and then challenged them to sit back down and then stand up together without his direction. Predictably, the group stood in ripples again.

Cassie looked over to find Danny watching her, a wry expression on his face. She could just imagine what he was thinking. She smiled in encouragement, and though he rolled his eyes, he did smile back.

Having caught on, the group sat down again and waited for the next set of directions. Their leader took a deep breath in and asked for everyone to do the same. Then let it out. And again, then a third time. He then directed them to take another breath and whenever they felt ready, to stand up.

Surprisingly, the room stood almost as one. Everyone looked around in pleased surprise and when he had them try again, there was less hesitation.

After a few rounds of standing and sitting together, the group leader turned them loose with an admonition that paying attention to the people around them would result in more cooperation.

Laughing and chattering, everyone started moving to their next assigned location. Cassie waved at Danny, who nodded and walked toward her. She realized, with surprise, that she'd known him less than 24 hours, but somehow it was already natural to assume that they'd catch up with each other, even for a few minutes.

Cassie could chalk it up to not having been on a good date in a while - DC wasn't the best dating town, with too many workaholic singles - but it wasn't just her. Danny had all but promised to see her again after their meeting at the bar, and this morning had just felt… right. She'd been to enough conferences, been hit on by enough creepy fellow attendees, but there was something about Danny that felt familiar and comfortable.

Even though being near him also made her feel… twitchy.

It had definitely been too long.

Danny reached her and she arched an eyebrow at him, pushing down everything else she was feeling. "Well, that was fun."

Danny pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "It was… something. You did miss a couple of good speakers before that, though. Everything okay?"

"Eh, as okay as DC stuff ever gets. I'll probably have to jump on another call in a bit, but first, I get my turn in the spotlight." She grinned when Danny looked at her in question. "One of the small group moderators asked me sit in on his session and talk about some of the programs we have going on in Hawaii and how people can get involved."

"Huh. You mind if I attend that session?"

"If you don't mind hearing me go on about space stuff."

Danny huffed a laugh. "I can handle that. Mostly, I'm just hoping to learn what a technology demonstration mission is."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They'd ended up on opposite sides of the small room. Danny would have been happy to sit next to her all day, but frankly, he didn't mind being across from her either. It was fun to watch her engage with their group.

She was in her element here, Danny could tell. And she was a rock star to the other people in their group, talking about the technology her office was researching, the mission NASA was launching later that week, and the different ways companies and researchers could work with NASA.

She was having fun talking and answering questions, and again, Danny just wanted to sit back and watch her work.

After the session ended, the group ended up just standing around and talking. Danny made his way over to Cassie, and chatted with some of the people waiting to talk to her, including a UH student who was interested in law enforcement. Danny offered to have coffee with her some time to talk more about what it was like and what kinds of opportunities existed. He also offered to connect her with Kono for the perspective of a woman in the field.

He noticed with surprise that Cassie had finished talking with everyone else, and was watching him a small smile. The student thanked him, and then gave Cassie a quick wave as she turned to go.

"Thanks, Ms. Wallace - great session!"

Cassie waved back and when the young woman was out the door sighed. "College kids call me Ms. Wallace. I'm officially old."

Danny snorted. "You're not old. They're just really, really young." She acknowledged the point with a short laugh, and picked up her bag so they could walk back to the main room. As they moved, Danny asked, "By the way, it's not Dr. Wallace?"

Cassie shook her head. "I decided not to do the whole Ph.D. thing, at least not yet. I might one day. I love engineering, but I'm really good at the organizational and outreach pieces of the job, so I'd rather run the programs than be the one in the clean room."

Danny nodded. "Do what you're good at, right?"

"Exactly. And, by the way," she repeated his words back at him, "you are very good at talking with people." When Danny looked like he was going to disagree, she said, "You are. You were really great with that student."

He shrugged. "I remember what it was like. Plus, I hope someone would do the same for Grace."

"Which is why you're very good with the people stuff. Frankly, I'd imagine that's a skill most cops should have."

"It helps," Danny agreed.

She got a teasing look in her eye. "Admit it, you've had fun today talking with people."

He tilted his head to one side, then the other, thinking. He sighed dramatically in mock defeat. "Yes, I've had fun today talking with people." He hesitated. "Actually, this whole day has been far more… useful than I expected. And it's definitely been interesting."

"You're totally going to suggest that your teammates do the standing/breathing exercise, aren't you?"

"Oh, hell, no."

She laughed, dropping her chin then looking back up at him with an overly innocent expression. "I think your whole office needs a full, interactive, demonstration of that."

"Not a chance, but I might suggest we use it as an alternative interrogation method on a really annoying suspect in the future." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

She started to say something, but her phone rang. Danny waved away the apology he could see on her face as she answered it.

"Hey, Alan. Yeah, can do. Give me five - I need to find a place where I can pull out the laptop. I'll call you back."

She ended the call and looked at Danny, who only said, "Go. We'll catch up in a bit, okay?"

She bit her lower lip and paused like she was going to say something else, but then nodded and said, "The reception?"

"You mean the mandatory evening fun?" Danny gently teased.

She rolled her eyes in acknowledgement of her own words coming back at her. "Hey, we have to stick together, right? That's our code - leave no conference attendee behind." She took a few steps backward, leaving but not quite. Taking a deep breath, and sounding a bit nervous to Danny, she added, "Besides, I'm beginning to think this evening thing might actually be just as much fun as going back to the restaurant for dinner."

Danny held out a hand to stop her from leaving. "Hey, about that. You told Susan you were going to go for a walk tonight."

"Yeah, I'd been planning to get outside for a bit after this was over, then go get dinner. But I can wait until after the reception."

"Can we talk about that before you head out?"

She narrowed her eyes, but smiled. "You going to play mom, too, and tell me to be mindful where I go?"

"Yeah, actually."

Her smile got both larger and softer. "Thanks, Danny. I'll be fine. I promise to be careful out there." She turned and hurried down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "See you shortly!"

Danny watched her go and sighed inwardly. It figured. She was smart, fun, and stubborn. Basically, his type.

It's not like there weren't plenty of available women for him to meet if he wanted a relationship. And if he had wanted a short fling, well, that was always an option, with the number of people who visited the island.

As a rule, though, he'd stopped even considering dating someone who didn't live in the same state full time. Given past experience, it wasn't worth it. But something about her just clicked. And wasn't it just like his life to put something so tempting just out of reach.


	5. Chapter Five

"Hey, Danny," Susan caught up to him a few minutes later. "Have you seen Cassie?"

"Ah, she got a call from work. Alan, I think? She was going to find a place where she could call him back."

"Good. Hopefully that means they fixed the problem."

"Yeah, when you all start talking about fixing problems, I imagine giant rockets blowing up."

Susan laughed. "No, this problem was entirely budget related. No hardware was harmed."

Danny pursed his lips. "Good to know."

"I'm going to go track her down. You headed to the reception?" Danny nodded, and Susan added, "Good. We'll see you there. And, could you talk her into going to back to her hotel instead of going out on her own tonight? She might listen to you." Before Danny could answer, she turned and headed off to find Cassie.

Oh, he'd love to convince her that she should do anything but take off and explore Honolulu at night by herself. He wasn't sure he'd be successful, but he'd give it a shot.

He was contemplating strategy when his phone rang. Seeing the name that popped up the screen, he smiled. "Hey, Monkey. What's up?"

"Hi, Danno. I'm finishing homework and I had a question for you."

"Okay, what's the question?"

"Can you take me to school Monday morning? I have to take my project in, but I left it at your house, so I need to get it to turn it in Monday."

"You don't need it before then?"

"No. In class today, Mrs. Jenkins gave us another week to work on it, but I finished it this weekend. I was going to get it on Wednesday, but that's the other thing." Danny heard her hesitate. "Gina wants me to go to a concert with her Wednesday night. Her dad is playing and her mom is making her go, but she can bring someone, and she wants me to keep her company. But the concert gets done kind of late, so her mom said I can just stay with them and she'll take us to school Thursday. I'm sorry, Danno, I don't want to miss one of our nights."

"It's fine, Grace. It's important to spend time with your friends, too. Your mom is okay with this plan?"

"Yes, but she wanted me to ask you since it was your night. And I'll stay with you on Sunday so you can take me to school?"

"That sounds like a good plan. I'll see you on Friday, right?" Grace was supposed to stay with Danny that weekend, but she hesitated and Danny knew that plan was about to change. "Grace?"

"I think Mom is going to talk to you about that."

Danny tried not to let Grace hear him sigh in frustration; the change in plans wasn't her fault. "Okay, babe, have her give me a call soon then." And he'd send Rachel a text to see what was up. He didn't want to end the call on a down note, so he said, "Hey, guess who I saw today?"

"Who?"

"Your friend from NASA, that we met last night. Your Uncle Steve talked me into attending this event today, and in turns out, she's here, too."

"Cassie? Tell her I said hi! Is the launch still on Friday? I talked to my teacher about it today, and she's going to let us look for news about it."

"Yes, I will, it is, and excellent. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know you've got your class excited about it."

"Okay, Dad, you should go talk to her. Don't forget to tell her I said hi. Love you, Danno."

"Love you, too, Monkey." Laughing to himself, he hung up the phone and saw Linda Hale standing a few steps away. He held up the phone and said, "My daughter."

Linda nodded knowingly. "My two boys graduated from high school a few years ago, and I'm thrilled anytime they call now."

"I try to talk to her at least once a day when she's not staying with me, and I'm lucky that she doesn't think that's uncool. Yet."

"Enjoy it, Detective. They grow up so fast." She looked in the direction of the reception area. "You're staying for the reception?"

"I am. Can I walk you in?"

"Of course," she smiled at him as he gestured for her to take the lead. "I wanted to ask you a couple of questions."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Danny leaned against the wall under a window, arms crossed, watching the crowd work its way through the bar and food lines.

Well, watching one part of the crowd anyway.

Cassie stood across the room, talking to Susan and several other attendees. She threw her head back and laughed at something one of them said. Watching her laugh was mesmerizing and infectious. He wanted to know what made her laugh. He wanted to know what to say that make her lean into him and smile like that.

She'd seen him walk into the room, talking to Linda Hale, and had given him a little nod of invitation. But he needed some space, even though all he seemed to be able to do was watch her, and even though he could tell she was disappointed, maybe even a little hurt. And that killed him. He would have done anything not to hurt her.

He felt like the whole room was crackly potential energy, and he wasn't sure if that energy would result in a pleasant spark or a sharp burn.

Danny sighed. Sure, Danny, go to the conference. Talk to people, Danny, give them a good view of law enforcement in Hawaii, Danny. It'll be fun, Danny.

He was sure he would have seen Cassie again. Even if the team didn't go to Sidestreet close to twice a week anyway, he would gone back for dinner that evening or the next just in case she was there. Their conversation last night had been enough to know that he wanted to talk to her again, even if it was nothing more than just friendly conversation over burgers and beer.

And then the universe decided to play with him. It gave him the opportunity to do more than just talk with her for an hour or two. He felt like he knew her, like they were well on their way to being friends. If things were different - if she weren't just visiting - there was no question he'd ask her out.

So, yeah, the conference had been fun. It had been more than fun. He'd let a smile and a pair of green eyes get to him.

Well, that, and a mile-wide protective streak. There was no way he was letting her wander through downtown Honolulu by herself at night. Sure, she'd be careful, but she didn't know the city.

He sighed again. Today should have been a day without McGarrett-style stubbornness.

He shook his head, deciding he was going to do something both very stupid and really smart. He pushed off the wall and walked quickly over to catch up with Cassie. He nodded at everyone in the group, and said to Susan, "I see you found her."

She replied, "I did." Cassie gave her a questioning look, and Susan said, "He was worried we were going to blow something up."

Cassie nodded. "You told him that was next week, right? We decided to hold off a bit?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "You two are a laugh riot." He looked at Cassie. "Can I borrow you for a second?"

She nodded and looked for a place to put her glass and plate down. Susan basically grabbed them from her. "Here, give me those. I'll find you before I leave, okay?"

"Sounds good," Cassie said, giving her a narrow look, to which Susan just responded by shooing her off. She let Danny steer her over to a quiet spot, then asked, "Everything okay?"

He sighed. "Yeah, I just needed a minute to myself."

She nodded, understanding on her face. "I get that."

"Listen, it's probably not my place to tell you what you should and shouldn't do…"

"Probably?"

He crossed his arms. "I'd like to think that we might be on our way to being friends, and yeah, as a friend, I think I have a responsibility to tell you when you're about to do something less than smart."

Her tone warned Danny he was about to step in it. "What am I about to do that's less than smart?"

He flipped a hand toward her. "Look, I know you'll be careful, but do you really have to go wandering around Honolulu by yourself?"

"I've been stuck in this building all day, and I need to get out for a bit. I was actually thinking I might go drop my stuff off at the hotel and go for a run."

Danny ran a hand over his forehand, trying to rub the sudden headache away. "Don't tell me you're one of those people."

She raised her eyebrows. "Those people?"

"Runners." His tone of voice made it clear what he thought.

Lips pressed together in a tight smile, Cassie nodded. "Oh yeah. Runners. They roam the city streets, scaring cars and small children, blinding people with their reflective clothes, and generally wreaking havoc."

"They make the rest of us look bad."

"Oh, really?" She gave him a frank look. "Because you don't look like you've ever done any type of workout at all."

Ah, sarcasm. This he was familiar with. Part of Danny's brain registered the fact that she'd been looking, even as another part recognized that he'd definitely stepped in it. "There are two kinds of runners - the ones who do it because they have to, and the ones who make it an identity." He added air quotes around the final word.

"How about you add a third group - the ones who do it so they don't snap and go postal on guys that don't know them?" She crossed her arms and stepped back.

Danny held out a hand and said, "Wait. I'm sorry. Don't… look, I'm an idiot." He tapped the edge of one hand against the palm of the other. "I have no filter. I talk too much and I frequently say phenomenally annoying things." He sighed. "You hit something of a sore point with me and I reacted badly, and that wasn't fair to you because you have no idea it's a sore point."

"Running is a sore point?" She asked, slightly incredulous, but still there.

"Little bit, yeah." He took a deep breath. "My partner is a Navy SEAL. He literally lives and breaths active. Another one of my teammates is a surfer - and she's brilliant. It's impossible to be on this island and not be surrounded by happy people doing happy outdoorsy things. And I am not one of those people. I miss city sidewalks and crowded subway cars and people being outside because that's how you get from one place to another." She tilted her head and studied him, and waited. He ran his hand over his head again. "And then there's the fact that wandering around by yourself at night in an unfamiliar city is not a good idea."

"DC isn't a sleepy little town, you know. And didn't we just spend a whole day talking about how safe it is here? It's sweet of you to worry, but I'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll stick to a long walk back to the hotel and save the run for the hotel fitness center."

"So, instead you'll walk through a city you don't know carrying electronics," he gestured at the computer bag. "Come on, you can't tell me your brother would be okay with this. Look," he said, holding up his phone, "I've made a mess of this, I know. But," he dialed one of the numbers, "just, hang on a sec."

He heard a voice answer. "Hey, Kono. Yeah, everything's fine. Do you remember Grace's new friend from the restaurant last night? She's also at the Governor's conference today - yeah, the thing I covered for Chin. She's thinking about walking back to her hotel from here. Yes, now, and yes, alone." He held the phone out to Cassie. "Backup."

Cassie shook her head but took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, there. Cassie from NASA, right? I'm Kono - Danny and I work together. Seems like you've made quite an impression on the Williams family."

"Yes, well, it reminds me of why I like working with kids more than adults."

"Ah, Danny's being a mother hen again, isn't he?"

"That's one word for it." Cassie grumbled, and she heard laughter through the phone.

"The thing is, he's right. There are parts of the city you don't want to go by yourself, and a lot of those are in the tourist areas, which I know is where your meeting is. I'm sure you can take care of yourself, but Danny worries. For what it's worth, if you'd asked me first, I would have said bad idea, too." Kono paused, and it sounded to Cassie like she was debating her next words. "Danny is also one of the best guys I know, so if you want to go out somewhere, make him go with you."

Cassie hesitated, but then said, "I'll think about it. Thanks, Kono."

Danny took the phone back from her gently as she looked down, thoughtful. He said a quick thanks to Kono and hung up. He waited and when she looked up, he raised his eyebrows in question, but only said, "You realize that after doing that, I'm going to grilled when I go into the office tomorrow."

"Kono says you should go with me," she said quietly.

Danny nodded. "I'd like that." She looked at him sharply and he raised one hand. "I'm not angling for an invite. You said you needed to get out for a bit and that sounded like you wanted some time to yourself. I get that, I'd just prefer if you didn't do it while walking through an unfamiliar city at night." He dropped his hand, and then stuck both hands in his pockets, which Cassie was beginning to understand was Danny's way of being quiet and serious. "But the general idea of spending more time with you, walking around or at Sidestreet or over there with the whiz kids? I'm good with that."

She shook her head. "I don't object to the company."

"But you do object to, ah, me being an ass about it." That got a tiny smile in response. "I'm sorry. As my partner continually reminds me, I am a hot head. I don't do it because I get angry, I do it because I…"

"Worry," she finished his sentence for him and he nodded. She met his eyes, and he finally relaxed, seeing that she was still unsure, but she wasn't mad. So he took a chance.

"Yeah, I worry. I do it because I get scared. And, babe, I can already tell that you are going to scare the hell out of me."

That stopped her cold. She stared at him, and he just waited patiently for her to decide. He was telling her who he was, and it was up to her to accept that or not. She finally nodded, almost to herself it seemed, and said, "Danny, I'm going walking on the beach. Would you like to go with me?"


	6. Chapter Six

Danny offered to drive both Cassie and Susan to their hotels, but Susan ended up catching a ride back with another group staying at the same place and also heading to the jazz club.

Cassie was quiet in the car on the way over, and Danny was a little worried until he realized she was trying not to fall asleep.

He said, "You sure you don't want to just go back to the hotel and go to bed?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized how they sounded. If he hadn't been driving he would have dropped his forehead against the steering wheel. She caught it, too, but just laughed softly. "That was so not what it sounded like," Danny said.

She shifted in the seat to face him slightly, and said with an exaggerated accent, "Why, Detective, I didn't realize this was going to be that kind of ride home."

He cut a glance at her, and shook his head. "I could just drive around and let you sleep in the passenger seat."

She laughed. "That actually sounds kind of fun. As long as I get to pick the tunes."

Danny snorted. "You'll be asleep."

"Nah. Just dozing. The right music is important to quality dozing in a car while someone else drives."

"I think you're starting to get punchy."

"I think I passed punchy a ways back. Which is one reason I'm ready do something outside. Hopefully that will keep me awake a little bit longer so that I'm not up at 3 a.m. again."

"So what you're saying is I better be damn entertaining?" Danny looked at her again, eyebrows raised.

She grinned at him. "You're already entertaining, but extra effort in that department would be appreciated."

"You know what, I'm going to take that as a compliment." He pulled into the parking lot of Cassie's hotel and parked in an open spot. "Why don't you leave your stuff in the trunk, and grab it later."

"Sounds good." Cassie grabbed her bag and opened the door, but before she got out, she pulled a pair of ballet flats from her bag and changed her shoes, stuffing the heels into the bag. Danny had walked around the car and stood watching her in amusement.

"You really are a city girl, aren't you?" He held out his hand for the bag.

She gave it to him and said, "You bet." She got out of the car while Danny opened the truck and placed her bag inside. He met her back at the side of the car, and pointed her toward a path leading alongside the hotel to the beach.

As they crested a little rise and could both hear and see the water, Cassie sighed. "Would it be okay if I just spent the rest of my time here?"

"I'm guessing you don't get a lot of beach time in DC."

She shook her head. "It's not like the coast is that far, but with traffic, it's not always a fast trip to make." She took a deep breath of ocean air and smiled. "When I was a kid, we'd drive out to Virginia Beach for a week or two every summer. It was never enough for me." She laughed. "Though to be fair, my brothers wanted to spend the whole time in the water, and all I wanted to do was watch the Navy jets fly out from the air station."

"Ah, so the fascination with flying things started early?"

Cassie nodded. "I wanted to know how they worked. The first time I got to see a jet engine up close, I was hooked. I thought I'd design and build them, but after grad school I got an internship at NASA and decided that spacecraft were way more fun."

Danny laughed. "I can understand that."

"And I'm lucky enough to get down to Florida once in awhile. I love the ocean down there, especially in the winter."

Danny said, "I never really thought about oceans being different - you know, water is water - until I moved out here and realized just how different the Pacific is from the Atlantic. It's a whole different beast. And the East Coast still feels, I don't know, connected to the rest of the land. Here, sure the other islands aren't that far away, but you're still in really far away from anything."

Cassie nodded. "I'll admit it is a bit different thinking we're on a relatively tiny bit of land in the middle of a giant body of water." She looked out at the water as they turned to walk down the sand, the surf rolling in to their left. "It's so peaceful out here right now."

"This is, obviously, very calm and beachy." Danny put air quotes around the last word. "Further up the island, and you get the rocky stretches and the big waves."

"I'm trying to plan some time on the North Shore." She held up one finger. "I don't want to surf it, mind you, but I'd love to see it."

Danny asked, "Not a surf girl?"

"I love being on the water, but I was never much for getting in it. Give me a boat any day."

Danny nodded slowly. "I've spent more time in the water since I moved here, but it's not my favorite thing."

"You didn't spend time down the shore when you were in Jersey?" Danny looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "What? I have friends from Jersey. I know the proper terminology."

Danny huffed a little laugh. "Yeah, we spent summers down the shore," he stressed the phrase a bit, "but I, uh, had a bad experience when I was a kid. That kind of soured me on really enjoying the ocean." She looked interested and concerned, and so Danny told her the story. "A friend of mine drowned when we were eight." He looked down, studying his shoes as they walked. "I, um, got caught in a riptide and Billy was trying to save me, but I made it and he didn't." Head still down, he turned just a fraction to look at her. The expression on her face was one of sadness and understanding and something he couldn't quite decipher. "It took me forever to get in the ocean after that. I'd swim in pools, but I didn't even want to sit on the sand." He shrugged "Anyway."

"And you live on an island." Again, there was a note of something in her voice that Danny couldn't catch.

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "It's where my kid lives. I deal." He added, a little defensively, "I don't want her growing up with my fear of the ocean. So, yeah, I swim and spend time in the ocean. I even learned how to surf so Grace and I could do that together."

He looked down again, and Cassie said, "That's…"

Danny waved her off. "I know. It's crazy that I live on an island and I hate the ocean."

Cassie stopped and shook her head. "No, Danny, that's impressive." She turned to face him, touched his arm and waited until he looked at her. "You know, people talk about wanting to be fearless. I think fearless people aren't the awesome ones. It's the people who know that there are scary things out there - and do them anyway - that are the people to admire." She paused. "I'm beginning to think, Danny Williams, that in addition to being a genuinely good man, you are also a badass."

That startled him into a laugh. He studied her, and realized that the thing he'd seen in her expression was admiration. Her hand was warm on his arm, and he had the random thought that in flats, she was his exact height. Which made it too easy to stare into her eyes. Too easy to see that they would fit together perfectly if he kissed her.

She was the one that dropped her eyes first, and Danny got that whatever this was building between them made her nervous, too. Oddly enough, that made him feel better, like they were in this thing together. Her hand was still on his arm, so he dropped it enough to catch her hand in his, and squeezed gently, causing her to look back up. He tugged her hand and took a step backward, and she followed.

Danny really wanted to keep holding her hand, but thought it might be too much, so he let go when she started walking again. He looked for something a little less serious to talk about so they could both catch their breath. "Hey, do you find things like today useful?"

"The conference?" she asked and Danny nodded. "Yeah. Well, I mean, it depends on the event, but yes, they can be really helpful. This one was a lot more fun than some I've attended, but fun doesn't mean anything if you don't get something useful out of it." She looked at him. "I'm assuming you don't do a lot of these kinds of things."

"Not so much, no. We do get asked to do some public outreach, but Steve - as head of Five-0 - is generally the one who gets that job."

"Perks of being the boss."

"Mmm-hmm. He's good at it, though it's not his favorite thing to do. He's always been action guy, so he tends to treat public speaking like he's giving a mission briefing. Which, depending on the audience, is either fine or really fun to watch."

"He's the Navy SEAL?"

"Yes, and I'm sure he'll be delighted to no end that you have a thing for watching Navy jets."

She grinned. "Go Navy. How long have you been working together?"

"I'm pretty sure it's only been a little over five years, but it feels like forever." Back in safe territory, Danny told her about Steve and the team. She laughed at his stories of arguing with his partner and some of the crazier things the team had done. She told him stories about some of the people she'd run across working for NASA, and about some of the projects she'd worked on.

It occurred to Danny as they talked that he felt comfortable. There was an edge of anticipation, too, but it was a good feeling. He felt like he was in the right place at the right time. He didn't want to look too closely at that, not because he was worried that the feeling wouldn't hold up, but because it might and he wasn't ready to deal with the implications just yet.

He'd turned them back towards the hotel when he noticed that he was talking more than she was. She'd yawned a few times, too, and was leaning against him just a tiny bit, though he wasn't sure she'd noticed.

When they stepped off the sand and back onto the path leading up to the hotel, she looked up in surprise, then at him. He chuckled. "I thought if I didn't get you back here soon, I was going to end up carrying you back."

"I hate jet lag." She looked like she was about to drop, so Danny walked them to his car and got her back out of the back.

She held her hand out for it, but he shook his head, and gestured for her to walk toward the hotel. "I'll walk you to the door."

"Still worried about my safety?" she asked wryly.

"Nope. Want to make sure you don't fall asleep until you get inside the building."

"Smartass." Danny grinned at her back. Just outside the front entry, she stopped and he gave her the bag. She looked unsure, like she didn't want to go inside.

Danny wanted to put his arms around her and tell it would be okay. He wanted to walk her to her room. Most of all, he wanted to know that he'd see her again. He tilted his head and said, "So, here's the thing. I really want to ask you out on a date." Cassie blinked, but before she could say anything, he held out a hand. "Now normally, I'd start with asking you to do something small like coffee. Then, if I asked you out again, which I would definitely be doing," his hand sketched an arc in emphasis, "we'd have dinner." She'd relaxed, and now had her lips pressed together like she was trying not to laugh. He crossed his arms. "Yes, I'm a traditional guy. That's the way dates work." At that, she did smile, but waved for him to go on.

"But this isn't exactly a normal situation. You're only here for a short time, and I think there's a spark of something here," he waggled a finger between them, "so if we're going to get to know each other better, I think I have to be…"

"Proactive?"

"Exactly." Danny held his hands out, palms up, then dropped them.

She studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I'm good with proactive."

"Okay, then."

"Though I'd note that technically a walk on the beach could be seen as a date."

"Ah, but I didn't ask you out for that."

She narrowed her eyes as if thinking. "No, I asked you." She grinned mischievously at him. "How progressive of me."

He crossed his arms again. "This wasn't a date."

"No?"

Danny shook his head and lifted one hand to emphasize his point. "A date would be an invitation and a positive response, followed by me picking you up about 6 tomorrow for dinner."

Cassie put one hand on her hip and cocked it, tilting her head in thought. "I don't know. There was an invitation, a positive response, time spent together, deep conversation, meaningful glances. We even went traditional with you walking me to the door."

Danny realized she was teasing him, so he dropped both his arms and took a step into her personal space, saying, "You forgot one thing."

She tilted her head the other direction. "I did?"

Danny reached out to brush little strands of hair off her face, and settled his hand against her cheek. "If this were a date, it would have ended with a kiss."

She leaned into his hand just a little. "Are you trying to prove my point or yours?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "You know what? I'm not really competitive. I have no problem with you winning this argument." He leaned in and kissed her softly, all promise and no pressure. She curled one hand in the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

When he pulled back, he covered her hand on his chest with one of his and traced the outline of her face with his other hand. She looked at him, a little wide-eyed, so he patted her hand and said lightly, "Okay, you're right. We can call this a date."

She laughed breathily. "You still going to ask me out for tomorrow night?"

"Hell, yes." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Probably the next night, too, unless you're sick of me by then."

She shook her head.

"So, dinner tomorrow night? We can do something fancy - or, I can take you to the only decent pizza joint on this whole island."

She grinned. "Pizza, definitely."

He couldn't help but grin back, thinking "that's my girl," but he stopped himself before he said it out loud. Instead, he pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her. "Here, put your number in." She took the phone and typed. "I'll pick you up here at 6?" he asked. Cassie nodded, finishing typing her number in and handing the phone back to him. He held it up, and said, "This is just in case something happens and I'm running late."

She gave him a knowing look. "You're going to call and check to make sure I made it to the room, aren't you?" she asked.

"With the job, running late is always a possibility. Just making sure I can let you know." She waited, eyebrows raised, and he gave in. "And yes, I am absolutely going call to check to see if you made it to your room."


	7. Chapter Seven

Danny, true to his word, had given her five minutes then called to make sure she made it to the room. He'd kept it short, telling her to go get some sleep.

And then he'd spent all night thinking about her.

He woke up that morning and wanted to text her, just to say hi, but held off, thinking it might be too much. He made it into the office early, and was responding to email and sending a few notes to people he'd met the day before.

A light rap sounded on his door and Danny looked up to find Kono standing there, an expectant look on her face.

"Hey, what's up?" Danny asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. What happened last night?" She took a few steps inside his office.

He shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"Danny," she drew his name out, dropped into the chair in front of his desk, and gave him a sad look. "What happened with Cassie?"

"You know, Grace does the same thing." He leaned back in his chair. "Doesn't work on me either."

She huffed. "I do you a favor and this is how you repay me?"

He made her wait a few seconds more, then sighed. "Fine. Thank you, Kono. You convinced her, for which I am grateful."

She waited. Danny just watched her patiently until she asked, "That's it?"

"That's it."

"That's what?" Chin asked, walking into Danny's office.

"Danny won't tell me what happened at the conference yesterday."

"Really?"

"No, I won't tell her what happened after the conference yesterday, which is what she really wants to know. I'm happy to talk about the conference itself."

Chin looked between his two teammates, both stubbornly staring at each other, then finally said, "So, how was the conference?"

Danny leaned forward, breaking eye contact with Kono. "Good. I got a note from the governor this morning - he's pleased. I've got a handful of contacts that want to talk to us about something or other - those are mostly going to Steve, but I have a couple of tech companies that you might be interested in talking with. One of them guaranteed that he could make the smart table better, even idiot proof. I think he meant that in the nicest way possible. I decided it was probably over the line to ask him if he could make it bulletproof."

Chin gave a little laugh. "That would be something. Thanks again for covering for me."

Danny waved him off. "No problem, really. It was fun."

Kono spoke up again, head tilted, watching Danny closely. "Just how fun was it, Danny?"

Danny looked at Chin. "How long do you think I can annoy her by not answering until she snaps and uses lethal force?"

He didn't get a chance to answer, because Steve rushed in, saying, "Oh, good. You're all here."

"And having a staff meeting in my office, it seems." Danny murmured.

"Not anymore. We've got a case."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six hours later, they walked through the door into the Five-0 office. Steve looked at Danny and said, "That's a record, right?"

The case had been fairly straightforward - a local, well-known banker had been murdered - but the fact that the wife was missing along with the contents of their bank account had raised concerns of a kidnapping situation.

"Maybe." Danny considered it. "I think it might actually be. Though to be fair, we didn't have to work very hard for this one."

Steve shrugged. "A win is a win."

"Oh, I am not complaining, my friend. Simply noting the fact that our perp literally walking up to our front door and turning himself in makes for an easy case."

It turned out that wife had run away with her lover after taking the money, but she'd insisted that her husband had to die so he wouldn't come after them. The man had run after pulling the trigger, but was so distraught about the act that he'd basically run straight to the Palace. The team had been able to find the woman with his help, and had wrapped up all the loose ends and turned everything over to HPD.

Steve ran a hand over his head and sank down in his office chair. "I'll take it." Danny looked at him closely, noting that Steve seemed more tired than usual.

"Everything else okay?" Danny sat down in the other chair and leaned forward.

"Yeah. Just not sleeping well, I guess."

Danny cocked his head. "You talk to Catherine lately?"

Steve huffed a sigh. "Not in the last few days."

"Ah." Danny knew that Steve had been torn about how to handle Catherine's sudden reappearance a few months earlier, but that he respected her decision to continue working in Afghanistan. Catherine had found her place working with the State Department, being an on-the-ground advisor for their humanitarian and education programs in the country she'd grown to love. She was able to stay in touch with Steve mostly by email and the occasional Skype call so they could see and hear each other.

Steve looked at his partner sharply. "What does that mean?"

"Just that you sleep better when you've talked to her."

Steve started to object, but at the serious look on Danny's face, he stopped and thought about it. "Yeah, I guess I do. I've always slept better when we were in the same place, but now, I just want to know that she's okay."

"That's understandable. What's she working on now?"

"They asked her to check out a village school. It's in an area that's been safe for the past year or so, but apparently all the girls in the area have stopped attending, so they want to know why." Steve leaned his head back against the chair. "She was going to try and call yesterday. I know everything is fine, but…"

"You'll feel better when you've actually talked to her."

Steve closed his eyes. "Yep." He opened them again. "Hey, you want to do beer and steaks on the beach tonight?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably. He hated to not be there for his partner, knowing that Steve could use the company while he waited on the call from Catherine. "Um, normally I would love to, but I can't."

Steve sat forward, looking interested. "You have plans?"

Danny tried to figure the path of least resistance out of this conversation, which he was so not ready to have. "I do, actually."

Steve pursed his lips and asked, "Big plans?"

"Not elaborate plans, but I'm looking forward to them." Steve waited for more, but Danny just looked back at him evenly.

Steve sat back and nodded. "Another night, then."

"You bet." He had a thought. "Hey, I may be done around 9 or 9:30 - you want me to stop by late? Have a beer, see if there's a game on?"

"Danny, you don't have to change your plans for me."

"I know that, babe. And I'm not changing anything. If you think you'll still be up, I'll stop by."

"Yeah, if you're sure. I'll text you and let you know."

Danny nodded and stood. "I'm going to go write up my report and get out of here then."

"Thanks, Danny."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Danny finished typing his report, emailed it to Steve, and grabbed his keys to leave. On his way out, he stopped by Chin's office, opening the door partway and saying. "Hey, Chin, the files are with Steve. He wants you to take one more look at them for a connection to the other thing you were working on."

"Thanks, man. Headed out?"

"Yeah. Have a good one." He started to leave, but Chin called him back.

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"What did happen after the conference yesterday?'

Danny sighed. "Really?"

Chin grinned at him. "Kono made me promise to ask."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "If she made you promise to jump off a cliff, would you?"

Chin laughed, and waved him out the door. "Go, before she gets back. See you tomorrow."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Danny walked into the hotel a few minutes early and scanned the lobby for Cassie. He saw her exit the elevator, wearing a long flowy skirt and a simple deep blue halter top that left her shoulders and arms bare. It was the first time he'd seen her with her hair down.

Her face lit up when she saw him, and he was frozen to the spot watching her move toward him.

She stopped in front of him, tilted her head, and said, "Hey there."

Danny's response was to slide one hand behind her neck and pull her in for a kiss. When he leaned back, she looked amused. He took a tiny step back and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I, um, might have thought about doing that all day."

"Did you, now?"

"Well, it was a relatively boring day." She shook her head and Danny could tell she was trying not to laugh. He grinned at her. "Bet your day was way more exciting."

"Mmmm, yes, meetings and more meetings. On the bright side, I did get to talk a group of school kids today, which was fun."

"See, way more exciting than my day." He held a hand out towards the door. "Ready to go?"

Cassie nodded, and said as they moved toward the door, "By the way, Susan said to tell you hi. And that she approves."

Danny huffed a little laugh. "She was part of the cabal to get us out the door together last night, so I hope so."

"There was a cabal?"

"Susan, Kono - I'm pretty sure Linda had something to do it, too. If i didn't know better, I'd think Chin was involved, getting me to take his place at the last minute."

She nodded knowingly. "The universe conspiring against you?"

"Actually, in this case, I think it was conspiring in my favor."

Cassie looked sideways at him and saw he wasn't joking, so she tucked her hand around his elbow and leaned into his side. "Well, I like to think I have some pull over the universe, given where I work and all."

Danny was surprised into a full laugh. He looked at her and thought about kissing her again, but they'd reached the door and he was pretty sure if he did that, they'd block foot traffic. For awhile. So he steered her out the door and to his car.

"You up for a short drive and a walk? I thought you might like to see a little bit of downtown."

"That would be perfect. We're still doing pizza?"

Danny opened her door and waited until she was settled before he walked around and got in behind the wheel. "We are. At one of my favorite places on the island."

"How did you find it?"

Danny pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed toward the Palace. "Funny story. So we worked a case a couple of years back, and one of our persons of interest turned out to be a retired cop from New York. He told me about this place, and I've been going there ever since." He looked at her. "You sure you don't want to go to something more traditionally Hawaiian?"

She shook her head. "I've got ten more days here, and plenty of Hawaiian things on the schedule. I'd love to see how Hawaii does New York."

"You'll like this place, I think." He pulled the car into his normal spot outside the Palace. He was fairly certain they wouldn't run into anyone from work, but even if they did, Danny wasn't sure he minded. He nodded out the window. "That lovely building right there is home to Five-0, as well as some other state agencies." He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. She also unfastened her seatbelt and started to open the car door. Danny looked at her and then the door pointedly.

She shook her head. "I can open my own car door."

Danny held up both hands. "I know that, babe. But we're outside my office, and if any of the guys see me not opening your door, I will catch hell."

She waited for him to walk around the car. When he opened her door, she said, "You said the guys. What would Kono say?" She got out of the car.

Danny snorted. "She'd tell me to ask you what you wanted and then kick my ass if I didn't do that." He pointed her in the direction they needed to go. "For the record, I said I'd catch hell. I didn't say they would assume you couldn't open your car door."

Cassie laughed. "Oh, so you're talking about family."

Danny nodded, slowly. "Brothers and sisters, all of them."

Cassie smiled fondly. "It's amazing to find your chosen family, isn't it?"

Danny asked, "Chosen family?"

Cassie nodded. "There are the people you are related to, and they're awesome, but some people become part of your family of choice. They are the people you want to belong to."

Danny thought about it. "Ohana." He looked at Cassie. "The Hawaiian word for it." They walked quietly for a minute, Danny thinking. He said, almost to himself, "You'd like them." Then he kind of shook his head. "They'd like you. You'd all have fun getting together and busting my chops."

"So, you did catch hell for calling Kono last night?"

"She's digging to find out what happened after the call." Danny grinned. "I would have told her, but she ambushed me this morning and has been dropping hints all day. Not telling her anything is way more fun."

"You're incorrigible." She nudged him with her shoulder.

"I told you, it was a boring day."

She laughed and leaned into him again, and Danny enjoyed the feeling of that closeness as they walked. He pointed out certain buildings and shops, and told her funny stories about shopping with Grace just so he could hear her laugh.

When they got to J.J. Quinn's, Danny stopped and waved a hand in a flourish. He opened the heavy wood door and put his hand on her back to walk her in. Inside it was cool and dark, with tiny booths dotting one wall, a long bar down the other side, and tables scattered in between. The hostess, a young woman with strawberry blond hair pulled up in a ponytail, met them with a bright smile.

"Detective Williams! Good to see you." She grabbed a couple of menus. "Would you like a booth or would you rather sit at the bar?"

"Hey, Beth. Booth, please." He quickly checked with Cassie and she nodded.

Beth led them toward the back of the restaurant, saying over her shoulder, "Jack is still talking about the ridealong you arranged for him. He's convinced now that he wants to go to the academy." She stopped in front one of the small booths.

Danny said, "Tell him he finishes school first, and then we'll talk."

"Mom will appreciate that." She set the menus down and stepped out of their way. "Can I get anything started for you - drinks, maybe?"

Danny looked at Cassie as she slid into the booth. "You trust me?" She nodded decisively. Danny told Beth, "Could we get a Pipeline and the Wailua?"

Beth gave him a look of approval. "You got it. They'll be out in a second."

"Thanks, Beth." Cassie was looking around, and Danny studied her face for a reaction.

She looked back at him and said, "What a great place." She nodded in the direction of Beth at the bar talking to a woman who looked like an older version of the hostess. "You've obviously spent some time here."

Danny leaned back in the booth and laid his hands on the table, fingers punctuating his words. "It's a family place and they're good people. Beth just started college, but she stayed her so she could keep working. Her younger brother Jack wants to be a cop, so every time I come in here, he has questions for me. Maggie and John came out here from New York about twenty years ago, before the kids were born." He waved a hand which looked like a dismissal. "This place reminds me of home, and it's nice to have that." But Cassie knew that gesture was more an indication of how important his words were to him. "I wish I'd found it sooner, because moving here was not easy." He shrugged. "And I'm glad I didn't, because it would have been too easy to plant myself here every night and forget where I am."

He looked up to see a woman carrying two glasses towards their table and looked at Cassie. "Ah, by the way, sorry in advance."

Cassie gave him a questioning look but before she could say anything, two pints of beer appeared on the table and Danny stood to give the woman a hug. She patted him on the back and said, "Good to see you, Danny. Now introduce me."

Danny grinned and as he slid back into the booth, he said, "Maggie, this is Cassie Wallace. She's here this week bringing East Coast joy and cheer to our little corner of the Pacific. Be nice to her and maybe she'll drag her co-workers over here for lunch this week." He looked around the busy, crowded restaurant and said off-handedly, "Sure looks like you could use the business."

"It's a good thing I like you." She patted his shoulder. She reached out to shake Cassie's hand. "Maggie Quinn. Welcome to Honolulu. This your first time to Hawaii?"

Cassie nodded. "It is."

"Well, you've got one hell of a tour guide here."

"I'm getting that. And I'm so glad this is one of my first stops. I have a feeling it could be... informative."

Maggie threw her head back and laughed. "I'm sure I could tell you some stories."

Danny sighed and said, "But you like me, so you won't."

She lifted one shoulder. "We'll see." Turning back to Cassie, she asked, "How long are you here for?"

"Not quite two weeks. I'm here for work, so mostly it's meetings and events."

"And rocket launches." Danny chimed in.

"Balloon launch." Cassie corrected him with a roll of her eyes as he grinned at her. "With a small rocket on it."

"Ah, you're one of the NASA group."

Danny murmured, "By the way, she knows everything that happens in this town."

"I tend my own bar, Danny. Of course I know everything that happens around here." She looked at Cassie again. "They were in here over the weekend, said they'd just gotten into town."

"The ground team. They came out a few days early to get adjusted to the time difference."

"They were nice young people." She gave Cassie a frank look. "And how long have you known our Danny here?"

Before Danny could intervene, Cassie said matter-of-factly. "Not quite 48 hours. We kept running into each other, and decided it was in our best interest to take the universe's hint."

Danny cleared his throat and Maggie finally looked at him. "You brought her here for your first date?"

He heard Cassie smother a laugh, and he sighed, "Yes." He held up a finger, looking at Cassie. "For the purposes of getting out of this conversation, this is our first date."

Maggie gave him a long look. "Well, then." She turned. "Cassie, would you like to order something off the menu, or would you like to go with what Danny usually orders?"

"I'm good with what Danny's having."

"Don't I get to decide what I want?" Danny waved a hand at Maggie.

"No." She smiled at Cassie. "You two enjoy your date. Cassie, it was lovely to meet you; I hope we get to see you again." She gave the back of Danny's head a soft thwap and said, "Make sure you take her for something other than pizza while she's here."

She walked away as Danny gave her a crisp, "Yes, ma'am." He looked at Cassie, who was still trying not to laugh, then looked down. "And that is why I never bring dates here."

Cassie stilled, but Danny didn't notice and she didn't ask for him to elaborate. It meant something that he'd brought her here, then, and that's all she needed to know. So she took a sip of the porter Danny had pushed in front of her. "Oh, that's good. Local brewery?"

Danny nodded. "If you'd asked me six years ago if I thought Hawaiian beer was a thing, I would have said no way. But these guys know their stuff." He gave her the other beer to try.

She drank and nodded and said, "Okay, that one is good, too."

"Which would you like, the porter or the wheat?"

She squinted a bit and tilted her head, thinking. "You got the porter for me, didn't you?"

He huffed a laugh. "Yes, coffee girl, I did."

She smiled brilliantly. "Thank you." She took another drink of the porter. "God bless whoever thought of putting coffee and beer together." She set the glass down and said, "So, tell me about your boring day."

Danny hesitated, taking a long drink of his beer, trying to work out how much detail he should give her.

Cassie tapped the table with one finger to get his attention. "Hey, Detective." Danny looked up at her and she cocked her head and her forehead wrinkled up in a worried question. "If you don't want to talk about it, because you'd rather leave work at work, I get that. I imagine dwelling on the stuff you see isn't great for long-term mental health. Just don't not tell me because you think I can't handle it. If you get to a point where it's too much for me, I will let you know."

She leaned back and the worried look disappeared replaced by a look that Danny was pretty sure preceded some kind of fun trouble. "Besides, I intend to tell you all about my job in glorious detail. Briefings with congressional staff, budget passbacks, so many meetings - oh, and wait until I get to the white papers."

Danny looked at her, shook his head like he was disappointed, and said, "And I after I gave you coffee beer." She grinned at him, completely unrepentant. He decided that he wanted nothing more at that moment than to pull her out of the booth and find a dark corner somewhere, but getting caught making out in public wasn't really his style, so instead he told her about his day.

He wrapped up the story as their pizza was delivered, noting that their cases usually weren't this easy. She nodded as she grabbed a slice of pizza and said, "Easy or not, it still sounds like a good day."

Danny took a slice. "Yeah, it was."

Cassie asked, "Is it weird having a skill that you hope you never have to use?"

Danny realized that there wasn't any judgement in the question, just a curiosity about how he saw his work. He thought about it and then said, "I do wish I never had to use the skills I have. If the world were such that I didn't need to be a cop, I'd be fine with that." He shrugged. "But I've seen enough to know that won't ever be the case, and I'd rather be the one using these skills than to hope someone else will step up and do it."

"Is it going sound too cheesy to say that I wish the world didn't need you to do this job, but I'm glad you are?" Danny raised his eyebrows and she shrugged. "I may seem like a hardcore DC bureaucrat, but I'm really a total sap."

Danny waved one hand expansively. "It's always nice to hear praise from our adoring public."

Cassie wrinkled her nose. "Eh, adoring might be taking it a step too far. I'd say quietly appreciative."

Danny snorted. "In that case, tell me about your day, NASA."

Cassie leaned back. "You know, it really was a good day. The meetings were just meetings, but the students I talked to were so much fun."

Danny listened to her talk about the great questions the kids had asked, and how excited they were about space. He realized at some point that they had been talking for an hour and he hadn't noticed time passing. Maggie brought them the check, which turned into an argument, which Cassie won. And Danny thought might really enjoy losing arguments to Cassie.

After dinner, he took her to a little beachside bar so that he could watch her sit there in the light of the brightly colored paper lanterns, eyes closed listening to the music and the surf, looking delighted. She opened her eyes and saw him watching her, and she studied him back for a moment. Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek, lingering against him for a long second.

"Thank you, Danny." He tilted his head in question, and she added, "For this. For dinner. For…" She breathed deep. "I'm just so damn happy right now, so for that." She leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder, and Danny wrapped an arm around her. They sat quietly for a minute or so, then Cassie said, "I'm really comfortable, and I'm really happy, so I'm just gonna fall asleep right here, okay?"

Danny chuckled softly, trying not to jostle her. "Come on, babe. Let's get you home."

She burrowed her face in his shoulder. "Sorry, Danny."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I've done the trip enough times to know that the jet lag takes a few days to get over. Besides, I find you to be utterly adorable like this."

She lifted her head to glare at him, which just made him laugh. He pulled her to standing, then held her hand as they walked to the car. When they got to the car, he opened the door for her and made sure she was inside. As he walked around the car, he pulled out his phone. Before he started the car, he sent a quick text to Steve.

"Everything okay?" Cassie asked. She'd fastened her seatbelt, but had also turned so that her knees were tucked up and her head leaned against the seat.

"Yeah. I told Steve that I'd stop by his house on my way home," he looked at her pointedly, "because I knew you were going to fall asleep on me again." She crinkled her nose at him, and he grinned. "If I kiss you right now, am I going to get hit?"

"If you kiss me right now, you might be late getting to Steve's."

"I'll take that chance." He leaned over and cupped her chin, pressing his mouth to hers. She shifted forward and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. Danny couldn't remember the last time he'd made out in a car, but he thought there was a reason it was a time-honored tradition. Or maybe it was just the woman he was with.

His phone rang and, really wanting to swear at Steve, Danny pulled back. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I am so sorry."

"S'okay. It's Steve, isn't it?" Danny nodded. "You should answer it."

He did, mostly worried that they'd caught another case, but Steve was just checking in to see if he really wanted to come over. Danny could hear, even though his partner's words denied it, that Steve wanted company. He told Steve he was on his way and hung up the phone.

Cassie watched him, her head against the seat, and when Danny hung up the phone, he reached out and brushed her hair back from her face just to touch her. He said, by way of explanation, "Long story, but Steve…" He searched for a way to sum up Catherine and Steve, but when he paused too long, she finished his sentence.

"Steve needs his friend right now." He nodded and Cassie reached out to touch his hand. "Then you should go."

Danny said, "Can I see you again tomorrow?"

Cassie smiled softly. "I'd really like that." Then she laughed. "I promise to stay awake until at least 10."

Danny ran his fingers over her cheek and then down the side of her neck. "Honestly, I don't think I'd mind you falling asleep on me as long as I get to spend time with you."

She leaned into his touch and sighed. "I wouldn't mind that either."

Danny kissed her one more time, drove her back to her hotel, and went to go be a good friend.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve pulled in about thirty seconds before Danny, so he waited for his partner to get out of his car. The first thing Danny noticed was that Steve looked relaxed and peaceful.

"Catherine call this morning?" Danny asked.

Steve nodded. "She wasn't able to get to a sat phone any earlier, but everything's fine. And she thinks she might get to come home in a few weeks."

Danny clapped him on the back as they walked toward the Palace entrance. "That's excellent news, babe."

Steve studied him in return. "You know, you never told me where you were last night."

"You're correct, Steven. I did not." He opened the door and waved Steve through first. As Danny caught up to Steve, he said, "You ready for the meeting with the governor?"

Steve decided not to press the issue of Danny's whereabouts, so just said, "Yeah. I want to look at the data he sent one more time before I go over, but this should be a good meeting."

The rest of the morning passed quietly, with Steve out and everyone else focused on catch up or other various to-dos. Danny always thought it was funny when people assumed that the task force was all car chases and daring hostage rescues - the reality was that in between cases there was paperwork, being in court, preparing to be in court, and consulting with other law enforcement agencies. Oh, and more paperwork.

Steve brought takeout back with him after his meeting at the governor's office, so the team gathered around a big table in the main space to eat lunch together.

Steve reached in front of Lou to grab another napkin, and looked at Danny across the table. "I ran into Linda Hale. You made quite an impression at the thing on Monday."

Danny rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that big a deal."

Steve shrugged. "That's not what I heard."

Danny waved a fork at him. "This does not mean I want to do all the future public speaking events we get asked to do."

Kono asked casually, "Chin mentioned that there were supposed to be some big organizations there. You meet anyone interesting?"

Danny very carefully did not look at her, concentrating instead on his plate. "I met a lot of people; most of them were interesting."

"Apparently it was a productive event. A few of the companies have already committed to having some kind of presence here," Steve said. "And the governor was especially pleased that NASA is signing a partnership agreement with the University of Hawaii next week."

Danny sighed silently and Kono sat back with a look of triumph in her eyes. "NASA was at the meeting? Wow." She looked at him, asking innocently, "Hey, Danny, didn't you meet someone from NASA at Sidestreet on Sunday?"

He wiped his hands off on a napkin and nodded. "I did. Grace's friend."

"They're launching something out here this week, right?" Lou asked.

"Early Friday morning."

Lou shook his head. "Hell of a thing to watch, a rocket launch. We took Samantha to Disney when she was about eight, and we drove out to the beach to see a shuttle launch."

Danny leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Apparently - since I've been corrected more than once now - it's a high altitude balloon, not a rocket, that's launching. The payload separates from the balloon, and then there's a rocket motor that kicks it to a higher altitude. And," he flipped one hand out, palm up, "my informant tells me that the whole thing is super boring to watch because you see about a minute of the balloon going up, about 30 seconds when the thing - hopefully - lands, and then about four hours in between of waiting."

"So, it's the engineer version of a stake out," Chin noted.

"That would be my guess, yes."

"Sounds like you know a lot about the launch." Kono said.

"Well, apparently Grace asked a lot of questions and she shared in detail what she learned. And they did talk about it Monday."

"Cool. Did you see Grace's friend at the thing?" she tried again. "What was her name?

Danny nodded slowly, like he was thinking about it. "I did, actually. She - Cassie," he added, looking at Kono, "spoke during one of the sessions." Kono stared at him, eyes narrowed. Danny looked back impassively. "It was an interesting talk." He waved a hand. "I may have done an okay job, but she was definitely a hit with the crowd there."

"Got upstaged by a girl, Williams?" Lou asked, pushing his plate away and leaning back.

"Oh, there's no question about that. And for the record, I have no problem being upstaged by someone who is twice as smart as me." Danny started to gather up plate and napkins, and looked at Steve. "You still planning to meet with your CI today?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. He said he's got word of something big brewing, so let's go see what it is." He stood and Lou did the same.

"I'm off to talk the DA about the Collins case," Lou said. "Then Samantha's got a thing at school, so as soon as I'm done at the DA's, I'm going to watch my baby girl be brilliant."

Chin laughed silently at Kono, who was watching Danny leave with Steve. She looked like she was plotting something. He balled up a napkin and tossed it at her. "Let it be, cuz."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

For the second day in a row, Chin's office was Danny's last stop on the way out the door. He stuck his head in, said, "heads up," and tossed Chin a thumb drive.

Chin caught it with one hand. "The Kapule file?"

Danny nodded. "As requested."

"Mahalo." Chin saluted him with the drive. "It'll be nice to wrap this one up, too."

"I could get used to weeks like this."

"I think we all could. Shame it won't last."

"I won't complain if it just lasts through the weekend." He tapped the door frame. "See you tomorrow."

Chin waited until Danny had one foot out the door before saying just loud enough for Danny to hear, "You going out with Cassie again tonight?" He rarely was able to stop his teammate in his tracks - almost nothing did - so it was a little fun to see Danny freeze, and then turn deliberately to step back inside the office. Danny gave him a look, to which Chin responded by tapping the badge on his belt. "It says detective and everything."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You checking up on me?"

"No." Chin held up a hand. "Really. This is the second day in a row you've been on time getting out of here, and I know it isn't because of Grace. Between that, Kono's questions, and your... carefully crafted response to her interrogation at lunch, I took a wild guess."

Danny stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned tensely against the door frame. "It might not be anything," he said quietly.

"Seems like it might be, if you give it a chance," Chin said seriously. Danny studied him, then finally nodded. Chin added, "Though if you're late for dinner, I'm guessing that probability drops." Which got a small smile and dropped shoulders in response, so Chin once again waved him out the door. "Have a good night, Danny."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Danny had asked if she wanted to go for a drive, Cassie had eagerly said yes. Danny could tell she loved just being on the road, with the windows down and radio on. She talked about learning to drive on backcountry mountain roads, so Danny took her along the highway that ran with mountains going up on one side and cliffs dropping down to the ocean on the other side.

They'd ended up at a little spot where they could watch the sunset while looking over the ocean, and Danny pulled an ice chest out of the trunk.

They sat on a picnic table under the palm trees, and after they ate dinner, Cassie sat beside him and pointed out stars and a planet or two as they started to appear in the night sky. She was especially excited about being able to see the Southern Cross, and Danny was happy to watch her be happy.

They'd talked cars. Her dad had a love of old cars, so Cassie and her brothers had all grown up driving whatever he was fixing up in their garage at the time. Danny told her about wrecking his first car doing something stupid, and how his dad had made him get a job to pay for the repairs.

She asked about the Camaro, and he told her about how he rarely got to drive his own car because of his partner. He might have played up his annoyance with Steve just to see her laugh.

Leaning her head back to look at the sky, Cassie said, "I'm surprised you don't have a convertible, with weather like this."

Danny snorted. "Canvas tops don't stop bullets very well." There was silence from her and he glanced over to find wide eyes staring at him. He sighed. That might have been too much information, but it was the truth.

"You get shot at a lot?"

"It's Steve's fault," he said, like that explained everything. She waited for more. "Not… a lot, exactly, but when it happens, it can be… intense."

"Can be?" There was a tiny note of disbelief in her voice. He looked at her, and she raised a hand. "It's not always intense getting shot at?" she clarified.

He thought about it. "Yeah, sure, but I might be a used to it. A little." He shrugged. "Not in a good way, though."

"Danny…"

"I know, it's a little screwed up. Maybe not normal."

Cassie put a hand on his arm, and he stopped talking. He never knew how to have this conversation, and he always ended up getting frustrated with himself. Explaining why he wouldn't give up the job, even though it meant things like getting shot at, was not something he was good at.

He shook his head. "This is… look, babe, I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about my ex-wife. I'm pretty sure that's a date-killer." She acknowledged the point with a look, and waited for him to continue. "But my job was a sore point with her. She was convinced that one day I wasn't going to come home. And that was something that she couldn't live with. My job was what broke us up."

Cassie was quiet for a minute, thinking. "But it wasn't just the fact of the job, was it? It was that you wouldn't give the job up for her?" It was a question, but also a statement, like she knew the answer.

"I would not give up the job for her." He paused. "I'm good at this. It's who I am, and even then, I think I knew that if I gave it up, I wouldn't be the same person." He shook his head. "But it was also that she didn't trust me. She didn't expect me to do everything I could to come home to her, and to Grace. And that, I think more than anything, was what drove us apart."

"You still love her." Again, it was less a question and more a statement.

And it was not the question Danny had expected. He tilted his head. "In a way, yes. Rachel and I created Grace, and we'll always be connected. And I think even if you fall out of love with someone, there's still that feeling of what was there, you know?" She nodded, and he continued. "But I'm not in love with her. That's... " he shook his head. "That's so long ago now. And there's another story there, and I will tell you one day, but maybe not tonight, okay?"

Cassie studied him and Danny realized that he'd spoken as if they had a future that went past the next seven days. But when she spoke, it wasn't to remark on that, or on his current relationship with his ex-wife.

"So I told you my older brother is a cop in Virginia, right?" Danny nodded. "A few years ago, my brother was involved in a, well, hostage situation, but it was one that turned into a gun battle. A guy went after his wife and kid inside the kid's daycare."

"Shit," was all that Danny could say.

"Yeah. It was the end of the day, so most of the other kids were gone and the owner of the daycare reacted fast enough that she got most of them and the few adults left out of the building. She called 911, and when they get there, he says he's taking his son with him or none of them are walking out. They tried to talk him down for about two hours, and then it gets quiet. They're about to go in, when the front door flies open and the asshole inside opens fire on them from an attic window. They found out later from the guy's wife that he'd brought a bottle of whiskey in with him, and he kept drinking. Apparently, he found the pulldown stairs to the attic and thought if they hid long enough, all the cops would just go away. She was hoping he'd break his neck climbing up first, but when he didn't, she grabbed her son and ran for the door. He was shooting at her. My brother and his partner run to grab her and the kid, while the rest of them shoot back at the guy inside."

She hesitated. "He says it's the only time he's ever taken a hit to his vest. One of the very few times he's been shot at. He didn't even notice it until later." She looked down, absently playing with a napkin. Danny gave her a moment to think.

"I don't want to compare myself to Rachel. I'd be happier if you didn't compare me to Rachel. But I understand that bone-deep terror that comes with knowing someone you care about is in harm's way. And I get that it can be tough to wait up at night and wonder if he's just late or if he's coming home at all. My sister-in-law - who is a total badass - binge watches home improvement reality shows and does projects around the house when that happens. My brother came home one night about 3 a.m. and found her taking all the kitchen hardware off the cabinets and spray painting them - quietly, so she didn't wake the kids."

She paused. "Protecting people is what you do. I've known you all of three days, and I know that your job is an expression of who you fundamentally are." She hesitated again, looking for the right words. "You could do another job and still fulfill that purpose, and you'd be good at it because you wouldn't quit until you were good at it. But this job - you were meant to do this job. And as long as you want to do this job, asking you to give it up would be like asking you to stop loving Grace."

Danny nodded slowly, thinking about what she'd said, except that all that seemed to be going through his head was the question, what if I asked you to quit your job and move here? She shifted next to him and he finally looked at her. He said, "I'm good at what I do."

She nodded. "I know."

"No, I mean… We're not lucky, we're good. In spite of the crap I give Steve for the crazy shit he gets us into, we get out of it because we're good at what we do, and we have the best tools and the best support. We're all looking to come home at the end of the day."

She smiled at him. "Danny, I've seen you with Grace. I've heard you talk about your home and your chosen family and I know that everything you do is built around being with them at the end of the day. Yes, your job is dangerous, but frankly, so is commuting on the DC Metro. Shit happens to everyone, and if you let that fact control everything else, you miss out on so much in life. I don't want to do that."

Danny looked down, tapping his fingers randomly against the table while he thought. When he looked up, he said, "This got far more serious than I intended for a second date."

"Third date," she corrected him. He arched an eyebrow and she shrugged. "You need things lightened up some?"

"Maybe a little bit, yeah."

"How many astronomers does it take to change a lightbulb?" He stared at her, incredulous. "None. They like the dark."

"Are you telling me space jokes?"

"Nope. I'm telling you stupid space jokes." She gave him an exaggerated wide-eyed look.

"You're telling me stupid space jokes," he repeated, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Danny?"

"Hang on, I'm still working on the fact that you're telling bad jokes in the middle of a serious conversation." He had a moment to think that if Steve were here, his partner would tell him to shut up before he went off a spectacular date-ending rant.

She put a hand on his cheek to make him stop and look at her. "Danny. I'm fine with your job. I don't like it that people shoot at you, but I don't blame you for that fact. I'm fine with your ex-wife, or at least with you talking about her. You have a kid together, she's always going to be part of your life, and that's as it should be. I'm willing to have all the serious conversations you want, but right now I'm a little freaked out because it's been all of three days and it feels more like I've known you for three years, and I'm so damn happy right now and also really...something, I don't know what, because I so did not expect… you. This was supposed to be - is - a work trip, and I'm just… what?" She stopped when she realized that Danny was trying not to laugh.

He reached up and put his hand over hers, and pulled it down to hold in his lap. He reached over and took her other hand, too. "I was thinking that Steve was going to yell at me for ranting at you, but that was, um, epic."

She dropped her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that."

He did laugh at that and tugged on her hands until she looked up again. "Don't apologize. That, babe, was a thing of beauty. Really." He grinned at her. "Ask Steve sometime about my rants. I'm sure he will be delighted to share." Cassie narrowed her eyes at him, and he shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But I have no doubt that you will end up meeting the rest of my team before you leave, if no other reason than Kono is eventually going to figure things out and insist on it." He toyed with her hands, then asked, "I know I'm not going to see you tomorrow since you have to go do important engineer things." That got a little bit of a laugh. "Do you have to work this weekend?"

"We should be done around noon on Friday, and I don't have anything else until Sunday afternoon, so I have some time off."

Danny nodded. "Do you have other plans?"

"I was planning on going up to the North Shore, and staying at this cool little place on the beach Friday night. I, um, wouldn't mind the company if you wanted to come with me."

He grinned. "So, now you're asking me to take you to your hotel?"

Her face grew red and she looked a little embarrassed. "I mean, I'm not saying you have to stay with me, but I'm not saying I would object to it, either."

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're adorable when you blush." She blushed more. "Yes. I would love to stay with you. I would like to spend the weekend with you. You're coming back to Honolulu on Saturday?"

"I'm actually winging Saturday night. I thought I might stay in a different part of the island, or I can check in early back at the hotel in the city."

Danny asked, "Why don't you stay with me Saturday night?"

"You sure you want to plan that now?"

His face grew serious. "Yes. I think I'd be happy to spend every minute I can with you before you leave."

She studied him. "You want to talk about that now? Me leaving?"

"No." Danny shook his head. "You're right. We've had some big, serious conversations so far. I think I'd be good with having a couple of days where we don't worry about any of it and just enjoy being with each other."

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, then said, "Does that make the weekend date four?

Danny sighed, mock exasperated. "Yes, but only because it's dates, plural, so it's three and four."

They bickered lightly about the number of dates they'd been on, and talked about what they would do over the weekend, and as they drove back, Danny glanced over at the beautiful woman who had fallen asleep in his passenger seat and sighed silently. He had intended to keep part of himself separate, to keep a wall between him and thoughts of anything more permanent, but damn if she didn't make him want to knock those walls down.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve watched from his office as Danny walked into the main Five-0 area late Friday afternoon. Though walked wasn't the right word, really. Relaxed swagger, maybe. His partner had been in an unusually good mood the past few days, and Steve didn't think it was just because they'd had a calm week. He still wasn't talking, yet, though. Well over five years working together, and Danny still kept pieces of his personal life close hold until he was ready to talk about them. Which generally happened during a car chase, hostage situation, or when someone was shooting at them.

Maybe Danny talked about his personal life more than Steve realized.

Steve watched as Danny stopped to talk with Chin briefly, then clapped him on the shoulder in thanks, and walked towards Steve's office. He saw Chin smile fondly at the blond man as he walked away and wondered what Danny had asked.

Danny pushed open Steve's door and stuck his head in. "You busy?"

Steve shook his head. "Just going over paperwork. Thank god for slow weeks."

Danny walked in and dropped into a chair. "I'll second that. I'm going to take advantage of being caught up and go run some errands. And since it is slow - and I realize I may jinx it just by saying this, but hopefully tomorrow will be like today - I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off and going out of town. I'll be back sometime on Saturday." Danny held Steve's gaze calmly, and Steve realized this was important to him, even though Steve wasn't going to get the full story.

Steve shrugged. "Yeah, okay."

Danny studied him for a moment. "Maybe you should take a day or two off, too."

Steve scoffed. "We can't both be gone."

"You know, I'm not sure if I'd worry more if you're working or if you're off." Danny gestured exaggerated air quotes around off. "You're a trouble magnet either way, babe." He leaned back in the chair. "Please just remember to take Chin or Kono or Lou with you if we get a case? Please?"

Steve smirked. "Since you asked nicely." He jerked his chin at Danny in question "Where are you going anyway? Taking Gracie somewhere fun?"

Danny looked down slightly and tilted his head. "Ah, no. Grace is with Rachel until Sunday." He hesitated, and Steve looked at him, eyebrows raised. "I'm going to up to the North Shore. With Cassie."

"Cassie?" Steve was confused for a second, then remembered. "You're going out of town with a woman you met three days ago?"

"Four, actually." Steve started to say something else and Danny held up a hand. "I know. Three, four - same thing, really. We've been out the last two nights, and I've gotten to know her pretty well."

Steve leaned forward. "You've been out on two dates with her?"

"Yes. Well, two...three; we're still arguing over the exact number." When Steve just stared at his partner, a little dumbfounded, Danny sighed. "There's something there, Steve. It's crazy, and maybe I'm setting myself up because there's no way this can work, but I think I'd be making a big mistake if I just walked away." He paused and looked intently at Steve. "I don't want to be afraid of whatever this is."

Steve held Danny's eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "Good for you. You should go."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Kono walked in and said, "Hey, boss. I saw Danny leaving the parking lot. Everything okay?"

Steve had been thinking over the last few days. Kono's question snapped the last bit into place. "You knew."

Kono frowned at him. "I knew, what?"

"Danny. The woman from NASA."

"Cassie?"

Steve nodded impatiently. "You knew he's been out with her."

"I knew he'd run into her at the Governor's thing on Monday. When you say out with her, you mean like a date?"

"Yes, like a date."

Kono grinned, vindicated. "Excellent." Steve raised his eyebrows at her. "Come on, Steve. Danny deserves some happiness."

"And you think a woman who lives several thousand miles away will make him happy?"

"I think he really likes her. And I think he'd rather be happy for a week than not at all."

"You don't think it will be worse when she leaves?"

Kono looked at him for a long moment, then shrugged. "I think Danny is an adult and can take care of himself. I think I haven't seen him smile like that in a long time. I think anything can happen in a week."

"Fine." Steve shook his head. "But I want a background on her. Just in case."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cassie looked down at her phone and smiled. She sent a quick text back and grabbed her stuff, waving to the other folks in the room who were also packing up. She had to slow herself down so as not to run out the door, which would not have been very adult-like. But it was all she could do not to skip out the door into the sunshine, warm ocean breeze, and the man she knew was waiting for her in the parking lot.

True to his word, he was waiting for her just outside the door. He popped the trunk when he saw her, and then took her bags from her, placing them inside. "You look happy," he said, brushing his hand over her arm.

"I am."

He opened the car door for her, even though she gave him a look, and stood there until she got in. He closed her door, walked around the car, and slid behind the wheel of the car. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot onto the road. Cassie was settled into the passenger seat with her head leaned back, eyes half closed, still smiling. "Everything go okay today?" he asked.

She rolled her head over to look at him. "The launch was nominal, the mission was within parameters, and the landing was on target."

He laughed. "So, perfect?"

"Damn perfect." She sighed. "And I am in a tropical paradise with a hot guy driving a hot car and have absolutely no responsibility for anything work-related for the next forty-eight hours." Danny looked over and arched an eyebrow at her. "What? Like you don't know that already," she scoffed.

"That you have no work responsibility for the next forty-eight hours? Sure."

"Smartass."

"And here I thought you were saying my ass was more than just smart."

She smiled. "Now you're fishing for compliments."

He pulled over into the mostly empty parking lot he'd been looking for and put the car into park. Cassie looked at him, puzzled. He turned in his seat, leaned over, and kissed her deeply. He pulled back before things got too intense, and leaning his head against hers, said, "Hi there."

Dazed, she replied, "Hi. That was nice." She reached up and touched his face, running her fingers over his jawline. "Still fishing for compliments, though."

He chuckled, low and amused. He turned his face and kissed her palm, then said, "So where are we going?"

Cassie got them to the hotel, where they checked in and dropped their stuff in the room. For lunch, Cassie took him to a little place one of the Navy guys working the launch had recommended, and then they walked up the beach watching the waves and the surfers.

Danny insisted they go back to the hotel for a couple of hours so Cassie could take a nap. She didn't object since she'd been up since around 4 a.m. for work and didn't want to fall asleep early again that night.

He sat on the wide balcony outside the room while Cassie slept and called his daughter.

"Hey, Monkey," he said when she answered the phone.

"Hi, Danno! Guess what I'm watching right now?"

"Hopefully something educational."

"Actually, it is. I'm watching video of the NASA mission."

"That's great, Grace. How is it?" Even though Danny had heard all about the mission - including some behind the scenes drama he was certain hadn't made it onto the broadcast - he was interested in his kid's take on it.

"Cassie was right. You can't see much, but it's cool when it splash lands in the ocean and they bring the boat over to pick it up. Hey, Dad, do you think I can talk to Cassie again to ask her some questions?"

Danny looked over at the woman sleeping a few feet from where he was sitting and made a quick decision. "I'll ask her, but I bet she'd like that. I told you I saw her Monday, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've seen her a couple of times since then, too."

Danny heard a little pause. "Danno, did you ask her out?"

"I did."

He heard a sigh from his teenage daughter. "Did you do it right? Did she say yes? You took her to a nice, romantic restaurant, didn't you?"

Danny wanted to laugh, but answered seriously. "She did say yes. I took her to Quinn's…" he heard another loud sigh from the other end of the phone, "and then I took her for a drive and a picnic the next night."

"Good move, Dad. I bet she liked that."

"I think she did." Danny didn't flaunt any relationships he had in front of Grace, but since she'd gotten older, he hadn't tried to hide them either. Especially since she'd become a teenager, she'd asked him a lot more often why he didn't date. He usually told her it was tough with his job, which was true, and that he didn't want to take any of his free time away from her, which was also true. Which at first got him a hug, and now mostly got him a hug and a very teenage eye roll. And he realized that he was nervous for his daughter's approval on this particular date. Danny knew she thought Cassie was cool, but cool-person-from-NASA and cool-person-dating-my-dad were two different things. "I, uh, actually am seeing her again this weekend."

Grace sounded excited. "Where are you taking her?"

"Tonight, a little place on the North Shore. Kamekona recommended it."

"Daaad. You can't take her to a food truck!"

Danny did laugh at that. "He promised me it's nice and romantic and looks out on the water. I checked it out online, and it's legit."

"Okay, that's better." She sounded mollified.

"Thank you." Danny was glad Grace approved of his choice of location, but he wanted to make sure she was okay with his choice of date. "Grace, are you… okay with me dating Cassie while she's here?"

"Yes." The answer from the other end was quick and sure. "She's your type, Dad."

"My type?" Once again, Grace had surprised him. "How do you know I have a type? How do you even know what types are?"

He could hear the eye roll through the phone. "Because I pay attention, Danno. She's really smart and likes to talk to kids, and she likes pizza. She's definitely your type."

Danny pursed his lips and nodded, thoughtful about what Grace had decided was important. "Huh. I guess that is my type."

"Of course it is, Dad."

"Okay then. I'm glad you're okay with it. I'm still picking you up on Sunday and you're staying with me Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday while your mom and Stan are out of town."

"Got it. Can we have dinner with Cassie one night so I can talk to her about today?"

At one time, Danny would have been nervous about introducing his daughter to any woman he was seeing, but Grace had already met Cassie and, it seemed, approved of her. So he said, "I don't know her work schedule yet, but I'll see what I can set up."

"Thanks, Dad. I gotta go now. Mom's yelling at me to get dressed for the party." Rachel had asked if she could change their schedule so Grace could attend a dinner she and Stan were throwing for Stan's business partners that evening and then some event the next day.

"Listen to your mother and go get ready. Be good tonight, okay?" Danny knew that Grace hated attending these things. "We'll have whatever you want for dinner on Sunday."

"Thanks, Danno. Love you!"

"Love you, too, Monkey."

Danny hung up the phone and saw that while he was talking to Grace a text had come in, which read: FYI-I knew it all along. Hope you're enjoying your day off. Saw the launch went well. Tell Cassie I said hi!

He shook his head and sent a quick note back: We'll make a detective out of you yet. All good here. See you Monday.

He sat outside for a bit longer, then checking the time, went inside. Cassie was still asleep, but she'd asked Danny to not let her sleep too long. He sat down on the bed next to her, and gently brushed her hair off her face. "Hey, babe, time to wake up."

She stirred and Danny waited until she opened her eyes before he said, "Hi, sleepyhead."

"Hey, you." She smiled and turned to look at the clock by the bed, which caused the blankets to slip down and reveal bare shoulders under a tank top. Danny couldn't help reaching out to touch her, running his hand down her bare skin. He rested his hand on the bed next to her hip, leaning on it. She put her hand on his arm, and rubbed her thumb over his skin.

"Sorry to fall asleep on you yet again."

"Not a problem. I needed to call Grace, so you gave me time to do that." He put his other hand over hers. "She was watching the video of the launch when I called."

Cassie woke up a little more. "What did she think?"

"She said you were right, but it was still cool to see." He tapped her hand gently. "Remind me later - there's something she wants to ask you." Danny could see that she was about to offer to talk to Grace then, so he stopped her by saying, "She, um, approves of me asking you out, by the way. Though she was very concerned that I wasn't taking you to a romantic enough place." He shook his head. "And I'm pretty sure I have to add her to the cabal. She told me that you are, and I quote, my type."

Cassie grinned. "That's pretty high praise."

Danny nodded. "I'd rather not think about how my daughter knows about types and especially about my types."

"She's your kid. She knows you." She squeezed his arm and said seriously, "I'm glad she's okay with it."

"Yeah me, too." He lifted a hand in a half shrug. "Oh, and Kono says hi."

Cassie laughed. "Did you finally tell her?"

"No," he shook his head, "I'm guessing she talked to Steve, who, by the way, is probably running a background check on you."

She rolled her eyes. "I could have saved him some trouble and brought him a copy of my SF-86."

"Oh, no, don't save him trouble. Please." He hesitated. "You okay with that?"

"Danny, I work for the federal government. It's not that big a deal. I think it's kind of sweet, actually, in a boundary-challenged sort of way."

Danny flashed a hand in an a-ha flourish. "You haven't even met my partner yet, and already you understand him."

She stretched again, which sort of short-circuited Danny's brain, and looked at the clock. "Hey, how long do we have til we need to get going?"

Danny shrugged, trying to think. "We've got plenty of time. You want to try and get some more sleep?"

Cassie tugged his sleeve and looked at him, eyes dark and warm. "Sleep wasn't exactly what I had in mind…" She tugged again and he followed and even though they had plenty of time, they still ended up almost being late for their dinner reservation.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

As they sat eating dessert, Danny made a mental note to stop by the shrimp truck just to tell Kamekona thank you. The space was lit mostly by candles in glass lanterns and fairy lights wound through the dark wood rafters, and the glass walls were folded open in the best Hawaiian tradition of an undivided indoor/outdoor space. They sat at a small table where the breeze was gentle and sound of the waves was the only noise.

When they'd arrived, the host had greeted Danny by name and invited them to follow him to their table. As they sat down, a server stepped up and placed two clear highball glasses on the table. The server stepped away and the host noted that the drinks were the house punch for them to enjoy while they looked at the menu.

Danny gave the drink a bit of a side-eye, and Cassie laughed. She tasted the brightly colored drink first, informing him that it was safe and pineapple-free.

Cassie studied the menu, and Danny studied her. She raised her eyes once but he'd only grinned at her, so she shook her head and went back to looking over the menu. Danny did look up when a man wearing chef whites stopped at their table. He introduced himself, and chatted with them for a few minutes about their dinner. He offered suggestions about things both on the menu and a few specialties that weren't listed, and told them to take their time, he was going to send out a few snacks to start, and when they were ready to order, their server would be right there. He asked Danny to give his regards to Kamekona, and left them to enjoy their drinks and appetizers, which appeared as he left the table.

Cassie raised her eyebrows in question, and Danny shook his head. "I would love to say I planned all this, but this was a recommendation from a friend, and I'm assuming he made a phone call."

"Your friends have good taste." She said, looking around the room. Then she smiled at him. "And you have good friends."

Danny nodded. "I do at that."

Once they'd tried the food and ordered their main course and wine, they talked. Danny was still surprised at how easy it was to talk with someone he'd known for such a short time. Even when there was a quiet moment, it wasn't awkward or weird, just both of them taking a breath. And he knew it should have felt like they were moving fast, but Danny felt comfortable with Cassie.

He knew enough about people having observed them for years, and he could tell that she trusted him. She was comfortable around him. And then there was the not-insignificant matter of physical attraction. And there was definitely plenty of that, he thought, staring at bare skin framed by a dark red off-the-shoulders blouse. He'd watched her dress earlier, and had been turned on by the thought of taking that top off her later that night.

And from the amused look on her face, she knew exactly the effect it was having on him now. She reached out and slipped her hand into his, and he enjoyed the sense of touching her.

Over dinner, they talked about food and books and movies. Danny learned that she was, of course, a sci-fi fan; he joked that he was taking notes on dinner in case he ever wanted to open a restaurant.

After dessert, and a silent argument over the check, which Danny won, they were offered the opportunity to have coffee on the restaurant's tiny deck, which was built over the sand and almost out to the water. The deck had tall carved stools where they could sit and watch the ocean while drinking coffee grown down the road and roasted by the restaurant.

"I have to tell Jen - my sister in law - about this place. She's been trying to convince my brother to plan a vacation to Hawaii, but he's so not excited about the idea."

Danny laughed. "Sounds like he and I would get along. You said he's in southern Virginia? Is your hometown there?"

"We grew up in Charlottesville, which is a little more central-ish Virginia. He moved to Danville after college - well, after he married Jen."

"Ah, so you're a Cavalier."

Danny was steering the conversation away from family, knowing where that would go and not wanting to have that talk at that moment. He knew Cassie would understand, but it was a good night, and he didn't want to take any of that away.

She saw the shift, and let it go. "No, I am a West Virginia Mountaineer, thank you very much." She saw surprise on his face. "I know, UVA is a great school, but I didn't want to go to college down the street from my parents. WVU has a great aerospace engineering program, and I liked it there."

"Where did you go to grad school?"

"Georgia Tech. I loved Atlanta; lived there awhile before grad school. But the goal was NASA, so staying there wasn't an option."

Danny leaned toward her, interested. "So you've lived in DC since then?"

She shook her head. "I worked in Cleveland at Glenn for a few years, then did a detail at Marshall in Alabama. Moved to DC while I did another detail working for the Air Force at the Pentagon. Went across the river to Headquarters after that, so I've been in DC for around eight years now."

Danny pursed his lips, impressed. "Did you ever get tired of moving?"

She thought about it. "Sometimes, yes. The space world is pretty small, so it wasn't like I felt out of place anywhere I was working. I was happy to be know that I would be in DC long enough to put down some roots, though there's a better than even chance that I'll get asked to take a position at another NASA center in the next few years." She shrugged. "It's the price of more responsibility."

Danny heard something in her voice. He asked, "You ever think about doing something else?"

She gave him a wry look, and he held up a hand. "Promise, I'm not getting anywhere close to that topic." He dropped his hand. "You just sounded a little… sad when you said that."

She sighed. "I love my job, but yeah, I've thought that one day, maybe I should do something different." She tilted her head to study him. "Have you ever thought about doing something else?"

"Sure." She looked surprised, so he explained. "It's not that I want a different job, but eventually it's retire or work a desk. And, right now at least, a desk is not an option I like."

"So you were serious about the restaurant."

He rocked a hand from side to side. "Eh, maybe? I mean, it's fun to think about it, but whether I'd actually want to do it? I don't know. I'm still happy where I am, and I hope that decision is still well down the road."

She leaned back and studied him. He looked back and cocked an eyebrow. She grinned. "I'm imagining you in a chef's hat."

He slid off the stool and moved in front of her, pushing her knees apart just enough to stand between her legs. He heard her breath catch, and leaned in to kiss her. "Want to know what I'm imagining you in?"

She looped her arms around his neck. "Bet I can guess. Take me back to the hotel and let's see what we can do about that."


	10. Chapter 10

Danny woke up the next morning and rolled over to find an empty other side of the bed. He looked around and found Cassie standing out on the balcony talking on the phone. She saw him and waved, and a minute later she was back inside.

She climbed back under the covers and snuggled up next to him. "Morning."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Morning."

"Had to call Mom and Dad, and I didn't want to wake you up since it's still a bit early. Yes, I am a grown woman and I still check in with my parents at least once a week."

Danny chuckled. "As a parent, I approve. Can you share that little detail with Grace, too?"

"I'm happy to set a good example, though I don't think you ever have to worry about Grace not wanting to talk to you."

"Yeah, maybe."

Cassie moved so she could lay one arm across Danny's chest and prop her chin on it. "Danny," she said seriously, "you and Grace, nothing is going to come between you two. Spend five minutes with either of you, and anyone can tell that."

Danny smoothed her hair away from her face. "Thank you." She smiled and Danny had a thought. "Hey, what did you tell your parents just now?"

Cassie quickly laid her cheek back on his chest. "You know, the launch went well, Hawaii is lovely and I'm glad I've gotten to see some of it, I've met some really great people."

"And what did you tell them about where you are right now?"

Danny could actually feel her blush. "I'm an adult. I call them, but I don't have to tell them everything."

She sounded peeved, and Danny wanted to laugh. "What was that you were saying about Grace wanting to talk to me?"

"Oh, nothing's going to stop her from talking to you, but that doesn't mean she's going to tell you everything." She shifted back to look up at him. "Would you want to know that Grace had a guy waiting for her in bed when she got off the phone?" Danny looked so horrified that Cassie burst into laughter.

"That's a terrible thing to say!" He poked her in the side and she twisted away and laughed, and then her phone rang. Still laughing, she checked it and said, "Here. You can get back at me for that." She sat up, cross-legged, tapped the phone, and said, "Hey, Jen."

_"_ _Hey, Cassie. How's paradise?"_

"Pretty damn awesome, actually. Fair warning, I've got you on speaker."

_"_ _You working?"_

"Nope."

 _"_ _So who's there with you?"_ She could hear Jen thinking. _"At seven in the morning on a Saturday?"_ There was a pause and Cassie held a finger up to Danny to say wait for it. _"Cassandra Wallace, do you have a boy with you?"_

Cassie laughed and said, "Jen, Danny. Danny, Jen. Letting you embarrass me by phone is penance for reminding Danny that his daughter is going to start dating one day."

_"_ _How old is she?"_

"Thirteen," Danny said.

_"_ _Oh, you poor, poor man."_

"You're not helping!" Cassie said.

_"_ _Okay, Danny, because my darling sister-in-law obviously likes you, let me distract you from your daughter's future dating adventures by instead grilling you. How did you meet Cassie?"_

Danny huffed a laugh. "Actually, my daughter introduced us."

_"_ _Well, that's a good sign. What do you do for a living?"_

Danny looked at Cassie, who nodded. "I'm a cop. I'm part of a special state task force based here in Honolulu."

_"_ _Mmm-hmm. And you like our Cassie, yes?"_

"As a matter of fact, very much, yes."

_"_ _Well, then. It's lovely to meet you, even if by phone. Take care of our girl while she's there. Come visit the East Coast sometime soon, okay? And since you two likely have better - things - to do, I'm going to let you go. Call me when you can, Cass."_

"I'll talk to you later, Jen. Bye!"

She hung up and gave Danny an uncertain but hopeful look. He said with raised eyebrows, "So that's your sister-in-law."

"She's a force of nature."

"So are you," Danny said admiringly. Cassie narrowed her eyes, a little surprised by the compliment. He sat up more and pulled her close. "Thank you for introducing me to your family."

She wrapped her arms around him. "You know she meant it, that you should come visit?" He stilled, and she said, "I'm not getting anywhere near that topic, really. Just… you're always welcome. And I would look forward to you meeting the rest of my family, too."

Danny held her for a moment, and when she leaned back, he saw nothing but certainty in her eyes. So he showed her he felt the same way.

They made it down to the restaurant for breakfast, because Cassie couldn't wait to try the macadamia nut french toast with coconut syrup. Danny kept his comments about adorableness to himself, but readily indulged her breakfast food glee.

After breakfast, they sat out on the balcony while Cassie wrote out some points for her speech on Monday. She tested them on Danny, who paid attention not only to what she said, but how she put her remarks together. She was a perfectionist, and when she started to get wrapped around the axle of finding a better word for a phrase that was already really good, Danny leaned over and dragged her chair in his direction.

"Hey!"

He put his hands on her knees and said, "It's amazing that you're putting so much time and thought into getting this just right. I know the students and the governor are going to appreciate it. But you're going in circles, babe, starting to change things just to change them. Why don't you put that down for a while and then come back to it later with fresh eyes?"

She stopped and stared at him, then closed her eyes. "I was spiraling, wasn't I?"

"Little bit, yeah."

She opened her eyes and saw the patient, supportive man sitting across from her. She set her computer on the table next to the chair, and leaned forward to kiss him. "Thank you." She leaned back into her chair and propped her feet up in his lap, and they sat for the rest of the morning quietly enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Steve waited until almost noon to call Danny, hoping that his friend was having a relaxing morning.

 _"_ _Hey, what's up?"_ Danny answered the phone before the second ring, so Steve figured he wasn't otherwise occupied right then.

"Just checking in. How you doing?"

_"_ _Are you worried about me, Steven?"_

"No…"

_"_ _That sounded convincing."_

Steve sighed. "It's just… This thing with Cassie seems kind of sudden. I don't think it's a bad thing, partner; it's just not like you. I'm sure she's great, it's just..."

 _"_ _You think she's not who she says she is?"_ Steve was silent. _"If you're so worried, just run a background check on her."_ Steve was even more silent. _"Ah. You already have."_

"Hey, I was being prudent. It wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to come after us using - alternative - methods."

_"_ _So…?"_

"So, what?"

_"_ _Tell me what you found out. I'm assuming it wasn't much, if anything, otherwise you'd have already been here, guns blazing. But you're not going to be happy until you tell me, so…"_

"She's exactly who she says she is. No record past a minor fender bender. Has a security clearance for work. She has to file financial disclosure forms, too; no issues there."

_"_ _You satisfied?"_

"Yeah." Steve paused. "You like her, don't you."

Danny said firmly, _"Yeah. I do."_

"You're coming back to town today, right?"

_"_ _That's the plan."_

"The other reason I called is to tell you that the team decided to do dinner at Grover's tonight. Why don't you bring Cassie?"

 _"_ _You think I should?"_ Danny asked quietly.

Steve sighed to himself. He wasn't sure if Danny was asking for his opinion or his approval, but it didn't matter. Either way, he wanted to get to know the woman who'd captured the attention of his best friend. Given that Danny bore the scars of relationships past, Steve was still surprised he had pursued anything at all. "Yeah, I think you should bring her tonight. So much of you is tied up in the team, so let her get to know us. And I think we'd all like to get to know her."

_"_ _Bring her in closer, right?"_

"Yeah, exactly." Steve was surprised Danny remembered his words of advice from when they were trapped in the collapsed building.

Steve could hear Danny thinking, and wasn't surprised when he replied, _"Because that worked so well for me last time."_ But then Danny sighed and said, _"I'm sorry. It's still good advice. Just because it didn't work out last time doesn't mean it was the wrong thing to do."_ There was another pause, and then Steve heard, _"I'd like her to meet everyone. I'll ask her, but I think we'll be there."_

* * *

Danny was leaning against the car when Cassie walked out of the hotel. He was tapping his phone against his other hand, and looked deep in thought. She walked up to him, and his head jerked up, like he was surprised.

She stopped in front of him and asked, "You okay?"

He nodded and moved to hold her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, one circling her waist. She slipped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder. He turned his head to kiss her cheek. "You want to have dinner with the rest of my team tonight?" She pulled back a little, not expecting that. Danny let her go, but rested his hands on her hips. "Steve called. He was, uh, just checking in," he grimaced to show what he thought about his partner's motives, "and to let us know about dinner."

Cassie placed her hands on Danny's chest and played with the edges of his shirt around the buttons. "Do you want me there?"

"Yes." Danny's answer was confident, and she relaxed her hands against him. "I would like for them to meet you, and for you to get to know them."

Cassie studied him, then nodded. "I'd like that, too."

"Okay." He let her go, and she stepped back. Danny held out a hand in invitation and said, "Lunch and a walk around town? I'll tell you what Steve found on your background check."

She laughed and took his hand. They left the car at the hotel while they walked around town and found a good spot for lunch. They spent the afternoon seeing a few sights, and then drove back into Honolulu so they could be on time for dinner.

They pulled up in front of Lou's house, Danny deftly parking the car next to the curb behind Steve's truck. Something had caught Cassie's attention, and she said softly, "Oh, now there's a beauty."

He put the car in park and turned to see what she was looking at. She tapped the window at the car parked across the street. Danny almost laughed. "You know, I think I might be jealous."

She reached out and, not looking at him, patted the car's dash, which caused Danny to want to laugh again. "You know your car is hot. But it's all showy muscle. That pretty thing over there is classic power." She turned to him and patted his hand like she'd patted the car. "Besides, even though this car definitely suits you, it's still a Chevy."

His eyebrows climbed. "You have something against Chevys?"

She shrugged. "I'm a Ford girl."

Danny shook his head and pulled out his phone. When Cassie went to open her door, he gave her a look, and said, "Just wait, please?"

She humored him and sat quietly while he walked around the car, sending a quick text. He opened her door, and by the time they'd made it to the sidewalk leading to the front door of the house, that door had opened and two men walked out.

Danny waited on them, sighing silently at the one who couldn't follow directions. "Cassie, this is Chin Ho Kelly, who I asked to come out here, and Steve McGarrett, my partner, who I did not ask to come out here." He pointed at each man as he introduced them, glaring a bit at Steve. "Guys, this is Cassie Wallace." Before Cassie could shake their hands, Danny looked at her and waved his hand with a flourish in Chin's direction. "Go ahead. Do your gushing thing."

Cassie gave him a confused look and then understanding dawned. She grinned at him, and said, "Really?"

Danny rolled his eyes affectionately at her. "Yes, really."

Cassie turned to Chin, who was looking on half-amused and half-confused, and said sincerely, "The Mustang is gorgeous." She tilted her head toward Danny. "He's just a little irked that I like your car better than his."

Chin threw his head back and laughed. Danny shook his head, and Cassie bumped his arm with hers. She said to Chin and Steve, "Actually, I think he might be more disturbed that I professed my loyalty to Ford."

Danny groused, "I drove a Mustang. Once. The Camaro is better."

Chin, still laughing, said, "Say the word and I'll let you take her for a drive."

"My dad had a '66, but he sold it before I was old enough to drive, so I may just take you up on that." Then Cassie threw a look at Danny. "You haven't let me drive your car."

"Because you keep falling asleep when we're out."

Chin shook his head like he was disappointed in his teammate. "I'll talk to him about that. It's no Mustang, but the Camaro is fun to drive."

Steve was watching the whole exchange with fascination, and Danny looked at him while Cassie and Chin chatted. "See, you didn't need to be here," Danny said.

"I thought this might be better than throwing everyone at her at once."

Danny snorted. "Just admit you're curious, babe."

Steve shrugged a tiny bit. "Okay, sure."

Danny shook his head, but reached out to place his hand on Cassie's arm. She turned immediately, and Danny waved his other hand at Steve. "For what it's worth, I do not understand the fascination with cars older than I am, but if we're going to have an old-car off…"

Chin picked up Danny's cue seamlessly. "Oh, yes, the Marquis."

Cassie looked at Steve. "You have a Marquis?"

Steve nodded. "A '74."

She poked Danny's arm. "See? Ford." To Steve, she said, "Does she run?"

Danny snorted. "Occasionally." He wasn't sure whether to be amused or terrified of the identical glares Cassie and Steve shot him. Chin, of course, laughed.

Steve said, "It was my dad's, and I'm rebuilding it." To Danny, he said, "Yes, it is a slow process…"

"But that's half the fun," Cassie finished his sentence, and it was Steve's turn to give Danny a 'so, there' look.

Danny dropped his chin to his chest and sighed. When he looked up, he noticed curtains twitching in the windows. He put his hand on Cassie's back and pointed them all to the door. "Why don't we go inside before everyone else ends up out here?"

Lou opened the door before they got there, and waved them all in. Danny tried to manage the introductions so as not to overwhelm Cassie. He shouldn't have worried, though. As soon as she'd said hi to Grover, Kono stepped forward, a huge grin on her face, and Cassie, without saying a word, gave her big hug. The two women broke apart laughing, and Lou looked at Danny and Chin.

"I'm assuming there's some context there we don't know about?"

Over her shoulder, Kono said, "Oh, Danny knows."

"Kono and I are practically old friends," Cassie added.

Kono looped her arm through Cassie's and said, "Here, let me introduce you to everyone else."

Danny raised his eyebrows, but let them go without comment. Lou looked at him in askance, and Danny shook his head. "I've annoyed Kono all week; I'm not about to get in her way now."

Lou looked at the two women, and then back at Danny. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "This is why she kept asking you about the conference?" Danny nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets. Lou clapped him on the shoulder. "Beer is in the kitchen and there's a game on in the den. You might as well get comfortable while you wait."

Danny took him up on that, but grabbed two beers and carried one to Cassie. She took it with a smile. Danny gave her a questioning look, silently asking if she was good. Cassie nodded twice, reassuring him that she was fine. He brushed her arm with his hand as he left her to talking with Kono, Adam, and Renee.

After a little while, Renee called everyone to come eat. Danny found Cassie talking with Kono and Adam, and stole her away to walk with her into the kitchen. After filling plates, he led her out to the lanai, where Lou had set up a few tables.

Danny pointed Cassie to an empty space at one of the tables, planning to sit across from her, but before he could, Steve sat down there with a full plate. Danny caught her eye, and she gave him a small smile and shook her head. She'd figured this conversation would take place at some point. So Danny mouthed "yell if you need backup" and moved to another table where he could still see her.

Steve focused on his food for a moment, then looked at Cassie. She looked back evenly, but instead of waiting for him to speak, she attacked first. "Did you find everything you needed on the background check?"

Steve's eyebrows went up. "What makes you think I ran a background check?"

"Other than Danny telling me you probably did?" She shrugged.

Steve cut his eyes at his partner, who just waved to make him turn his attention back to Cassie. Steve said, "I did find everything I needed, yeah."

Cassie smiled at him. "So."

Steve echoed her. "So." He looked at Danny again, who rolled his eyes. Steve relaxed a bit, and said quietly, "He doesn't do this, you know. He's not impulsive."

Cassie nodded. "I do know that. And I know it looks like it, but he wasn't impulsive. And neither was I. It was fast, but not impulsive."

Steve thought about that. "He hasn't really talked about it yet. I didn't know he was seeing you until yesterday."

"I think," Cassie said slowly, "that both of us were trying to find our footing. Are still trying, to be honest. Finding each other was unexpected. And as far as what comes next, well, we're welding the engine to the plane as we taxi down the runway. Neither of us knows what happens next."

Steve didn't say anything, but he looked thoughtful, so Cassie continued. "Are you asking me what my intentions are towards your partner?"

Steve laughed a little at that. "Yeah, I guess I am." He tilted his head. "You don't live here, so I'm just wondering where this goes."

"Well, first of all, I'm here for five more days. I know that doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it was enough to get us here. And second, you know, there are flights between here and DC. Or here and there and somewhere in the middle. It's not ideal, but it's not like we can never see each other again."

"So you want to see him after you leave?" Cassie raised her eyebrows and cocked her head, and her expression said, well that's a dumb question. Steve added, "Would you move here to be with him?"

Cassie heard a fork drop and looked to see Danny start to move, but she shook her head quickly at him.

"You know, Danny got to talk to my sister-in-law this morning. I expect he'll be having a similar conversation with my brother soon enough." She paused, not in hesitation but for emphasis. She said quietly, but firmly, "We haven't talked about it. If Danny wants to talk it out with you, he will. I'm not going to speak for him - or for us - until he and I have talked."

Steve sat back and studied her, then finally nodded. "So. How'd the launch go?" He dug into the food on his plate.

If Cassie was fazed by the sudden change in topics, she didn't show it. "Beautifully. Got all the data we could have hoped for." She pointed a fork at him. "Had a good Navy crew working with us, too."

Steve lifted a shoulder as if to say of course. "What did you learn?"

Cassie told him a little more about the mission, and wasn't surprised when Chin and Lou sat down next to her and Steve to ask a few more questions about the launch. Chin asked how she'd liked the North Shore and told her about a couple of other places she might want to check out.

"You're here at a good time. Weather this time of year is usually pretty nice, but we've had a stretch of exceptionally good weeks."

Lou looked at Steve and Chin. "Hey, speaking of weather, when was the last time Oahu was hit by a hurricane?"

The two men looked at each other, and Chin said. "Oahu? Iniki probably did the most damage in '92, but it just skirted the island. Kauai usually gets the worst of any storms - Oahu gets the edges. But as a whole, we're kind of out of the path of most storms."

"Huh. I heard there's a tropical system headed in our general direction that might become a hurricane. First time I've ever seen that kind of forecast here."

Chin nodded. "It is that time of year, but they usually turn before they get close. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Cassie nodded. "We saw that on the long-range forecast. If we'd had to slip the launch any, we might have run into a problem with the weather."

"Hurricanes were something we definitely didn't have to worry about in Chicago. I'd be just as happy if I didn't have to worry about it here."

Steve's phone rang and he stepped to the far end of the lanai to answer it. When's Danny's phone rang about 15 seconds later, Chin and Lou exchanged glances and started picking up their plates. Cassie observed, but could guess what was about to happen. Kono stepped outside and asked, "Where's Steve?" Chin pointed in his direction, just as Steve hung up, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

Danny said, "Thanks, Duke," and hung up. He looked over at Steve. "The Governor?"

"Yeah. Someone hit the Museum of Art and stole several paintings."

Kono said, pointing a thumb behind her, "It's all over the news. The museum is open late tonight for a gala event, and it looks like they walked out with the artwork during the event."

Steve nodded. "The governor was attending, and he'd like us to have a visible presence there working with HPD."

Danny spoke up. "Duke says they're taking statements from both guests and staff, and they've got the area roped off."

"Great. Kono and Lou, can you work with Duke and talk with the guests and museum staff? And Chin, check the security cameras to see if we can get anything that might give us an idea of what happened. Danny and I will check in with the governor and talk to the museum curator about what was taken and if they have any idea why."

"Got it, boss," Kono said, and Chin nodded.

Renee walked outside, and waved at Lou, who was getting ready to carry things into the kitchen. "Go on. I'll take care of this."

He kissed her on the cheek and headed to get his gear. "You're the best, sweetheart."

"And don't you forget it!" she called after him.

Danny was already moving towards Cassie. He dropped into the empty chair next to her and leaned forward. "I gotta go, babe."

She nodded. "I know. I'll be fine, Danny. Let me grab my stuff out of your car, and I'll call a cab to take me to a hotel."

Danny huffed. "Not a chance."

"You don't have to worry about me. Really. Go, catch bad guys."

He took her hands and looked at her seriously. "I don't know how long we're going to be out, but I will be home tonight and it would make me very happy to have you there with me. If you'd rather stay here with Renee while we're at the scene, or if you're uncomfortable being at my place alone, you should stay and I will pick you up when we're done. I know I can send you out there to find a hotel and you will be fine, but I'll worry less if you don't have to do that."

Seeing that he was sincere, Cassie said, "If it's okay with Renee, I think I'd rather not be by myself."

Renee stopped at Cassie's chair and put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course, you're welcome to stay here."

Steve added from across the room, "Danny, why don't you leave your car here in case Cassie needs it? We'll take the truck."

"You mean you're going to drive your own vehicle? Steven, are you feeling okay?"

Steve smirked. "Get your gear, Danno. Let's move."

"it's terrifying when you're nice. You know that?"

"I'm always nice." Steve walked out the door, with a "leaving in 90 seconds!" tossed over his shoulder.

Danny stood and pulled his keys out of his pocket. He handed them to Cassie, who looked amused at the exchange between Danny and Steve. "If you decide you want to head to the house, here's the key. The alarm isn't set right now, so you don't have to worry about that. Renee can give you directions. Text me if you do and I'll have Steve drop me off there."

Cassie nodded and stood with him. Her amusement had faded into concern, so Danny pulled her inside the house and out of the way of the sudden flurry of activity. "Hey. I'm sorry I'm messing up our weekend." She started to shake her head, but Danny cupped her face with his hands and continued. "I promise I will be back soon." He kissed her, then stepped away checking her expression one more time. She gave him a smile and a firm nod, and he turned to go find his partner.

* * *

Danny was too quiet on the other side of the truck, so Steve finally asked, "Everything okay, buddy?"

"Yeah. I'm just… I'm fine."

Steve nodded, letting it go for a moment. "She really is great, Danny. More than a match for you."

"Thanks. I think." He leaned his head back against the seat with a tiny thump.

"That's a good thing, right?" Steve looked at his partner.

"It's a great thing. And that's the problem. She's a great thing that lives thousands of miles away."

"Have you talked about it?"

"Ah, no. We've talked about everything but the literal ocean between us." Danny sighed heavily.

Steve nodded, pursing his lips. "Would you want her to move here?"

"No, Steven. I like her. I wouldn't encourage anyone to move to this pineapple-infested hellhole, especially someone who likes seasons and snow and real pizza." He sighed and closed his eyes. "And yes. I would very much like it if she moved here. But I've known her for six days. And even if it were six months, it's really not fair for me to ask her to do something I can't."

"Shit."

Danny looked at him. "I know, right?"

"No, I just… you like her."

"Yes, Steven. That's what we've been talking about. I like her."

"I mean, you like her like her."

Danny stared at him. "What are we, five? The fact that I like her has been established."

Steve sighed. "I thought… I just mean that I haven't seen you this worked up over a woman since Gabby." Danny sighed again, loudly. Steve looked over, apologetically. "Sorry, buddy. It sucks that you're dealing with the same thing again."

Danny sat silently for a long moment, staring out the window. "It's not the same," he said quietly.

Steve pulled the car up to the crime scene, as close to the yellow tape as he could get. "What do you mean?"

Danny waved him off. He knew it wasn't, but he couldn't articulate why. And now wasn't the time to get into it anyway.

Duke met them at the police tape, and gave them a quick rundown. He pointed them toward some of the museum staff, who were waiting to speak with Five-0. Danny and Steve went through the group asking questions, and when they met up again fifteen minutes later, they had information, but nothing that seemed to indicate motive or identities.

Danny filled Steve in on what he had learned. "Looks like the only reason we even know something is gone is that the building alarm went off."

Steve nodded. "The paintings were in a part of the building not being used for the event. The alarms for those particular rooms were disabled in such a way that it didn't trip any master alarms. No one noticed anything out of the ordinary, and the staff I talked to said they probably wouldn't have noticed the missing art if it weren't a standard procedure to clear the building by walking through it when there's a building alarm."

Danny said, "So we have missing art that's not connected to the exhibit, and they didn't take anything from the guests. No one was hurt, and it seems like if anyone saw the thieves, they didn't know it."

"They must have tripped the main alarm when they exited the building."

"How could they do such an effective job on not setting off any of the interior alarms and then screw up with the big one?"

Steve shook his head. "Maybe they didn't take it into account? Let's see if Chin's been able to get anything from the tapes, or if any of the guests saw anything."

They caught up with the rest of the team, but none of them had anything definitive. Chin volunteered to run what they did have over to the crime lab, and Steve sent the rest of them home while he went to brief the governor.

* * *

Both the kids were staying at friends for the night, so after she, Cassie, and Adam cleaned up the remains of dinner, and Adam had headed home, Renee grabbed a bottle of wine, two glasses, and took them out to the lanai where Cassie was sitting. She poured a glass for Cassie and then one for herself. Cassie thanked her with a smile, and took a drink.

Renee settled back in a chair and drank from her glass. "How're you doing?"

Cassie didn't even pretend to misunderstand her question. "I'm not quite sure. I don't know if I should worry. I don't even know if it's my place to worry."

Renee made a noise that was half agreement, half protest. "You do actually get used to it, even if that's disturbing in and of itself. You always worry, but you'll learn when to kick that worry into high alert." She took another drink. "And from what I saw tonight, it is absolutely your place. Danny is crazy about you."

Cassie demurred quietly, and Renee cut a sideways look at her. "Please, girl. The way he looks at you? And it means something that he brought you here tonight."

"I know," Cassie said, playing with her glass.

"It means something that you came here with him, too, doesn't it?"

Renee's question sounded more like a statement, and Cassie turned to her and smiled. "I would have done it just because he asked me to, but yes, I think it meant more than that."

Renee nodded, satisfied. "Good. You hang on to that."

The two women sat, mostly not talking, just appreciating the cooler evening weather and the company of someone who understood. When Renee heard tires in the drive, she smiled and sat forward. "That's Lou's truck." Cassie thought she might go meet him at the door, but instead Renee waited until the glass door slid open and Lou stepped out onto the lanai. He leaned over and kissed his wife's cheek and she smiled happily up at him.

Cassie was surprised to see Danny behind him, and turned to sit sideways on her chair. "Hey." She set her glass down on the table as he walked around Lou and held out a hand. She took it and he pulled her up into a quick hug.

"Steve is stuck briefing the governor, so I caught another ride." He tilted his head toward Lou.

The ride in question, with his hand on his wife's shoulder, said, "Nothing else to do tonight, so might as well get some rest while we can." He looked pointedly at Danny. "Take your girl home, Williams. I'll see you tomorrow."

Danny looked at Cassie. "Ready?"

She nodded, and when Renee stood, gave her a warm hug. "Thank you. For dinner and everything."

Renee patted her back. "Remember what I said."

Lou walked them to the door, and when they were in the car, Danny shifted to face her, but instead of saying anything, he just watched her. She looked at him, curiously at first, then finally smiling. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she replied.

He flipped one hand up. "For now, we've done all we can do. There's something weird about this case, but I don't know what it is yet."

"You want to tell me about it?"

Danny thought. "Yeah. Let me tell you what we know." He talked most of the way home, except for her occasional question, and when he pulled into his driveway, he thought that he felt better about the case. Not closer to solving anything, but his mind didn't feel jumbled with all the facts and theories.

But once they got inside, Danny didn't know what to do with himself. He gave her a tour of the house, puttered around getting her settled, and generally couldn't seem to sit still. Cassie ended up sitting quietly on the couch, thinking, while Danny fixed tea.

He walked in and carefully handed her the mug. He didn't sit down, but instead moved a pile of something from the coffee table to another table.

Cassie said, "Danny." He looked at her, and she pointed her chin at the couch while turning to sit cross-legged facing the other end of the couch, hands wrapped around the mug. He sat, and even then he didn't stay still, tapping his fingers and shifting on the couch.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course."

She tilted her head to look at him more closely. "Is it weird having me here?"

Startled, he jerked his head up. "No." When she just raised her eyebrows at him, he relented. "Maybe a little. It's not you, specifically, it's just…" He thought about it. "This whole week has been… like a break from my real life. And today that break collided with my real life, and it's thrown me a little bit."

He looked at her evenly, and she looked down into her mug, trying to find the right question to ask next. When she looked up, Danny could see the vulnerability there, like she wanted to ask her question but maybe didn't want the answer.

"Is it - this week, today," she waved a hand to indicate everything he'd just said, "a good thing or..." she trailed off.

He did the only thing he could do - he took a deep breath, looked her in the eye, and told her the truth. "It's a very good thing, that's going to break my heart." Cassie blinked at him, tears forming in her eyes, and Danny couldn't stand it. He reached a hand out and brushed the drops away. "And that's my own damn fault, not any of yours, babe." He hesitated. "Can I tell you about something?"

Cassie nodded, not able to speak.

Danny scooted back a bit, needing some space to tell her the story, even though it hurt to not be touching her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly for time to think. "A few years ago, I was dating someone." He held up a hand quickly. "And I'm not comparing you to her either. But… the situation is not dissimilar." He gathered more words. "Gabby was offered a job on the mainland, and she took it. She came back, but then was offered another one. And she offered to stay, but I wouldn't let her chose me over the job. I told her she needed to go, but I ended things because I couldn't see us ending well. I just saw… an ending." He leaned forward, wanting her to understand. "So this," he motioned between them, "is all my fault. Because I should have known better. I know there's only one way this ends."

Cassie sat silent, and took a long moment to set her cup down on the coffee table while Danny watched her. When she looked up, Danny couldn't decipher the look in her eyes, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Danny knew she was more than upset. She was well on her way to being pissed.

"So, this," Cassie made the same gesture, but sharper, "is all you?" Danny started to nod, and she stopped him with "I had no say in what's been going on this last week?"

"No, I just mean the fact that it's going to hurt both of us when you leave - that's my fault."

"So all of this - getting to know each other, this really great week, being happy - that's all been a bad thing in reality because it has to end."

Danny nodded emphatically. "Yes."

"And if you'd just, what, ignored me? Not asked me out? This all would have ended differently, and so this is all on you?"

Danny tilted his head from side to side. "Basically, yeah."

"Danny," she said slowly, patiently but frustrated, "where am I from?"

Confused, but not wanting to upset her more, he answered, "Washington."

"Do you think I remembered that when you asked me out on a date and I said yes?"

"I would hope so."

"And I think we can stipulate that, since you more or less asked me out for two dates during that particular conversation, I did not forget that fact the next time we went out. So we can agree that when I said yes to those dates, I was fully aware of the geographic challenges. In case it needs saying explicitly, I did not forget when I asked you to go to the North Shore with me, or when I agreed to meet your team."

She was getting wound up and oddly enough, that made Danny feel better. It also made him want to pick her up and carry her back to the bedroom, but he thought that might be the wrong reaction to have at that particular moment.

"And if that weren't enough, the fact that we agreed on Friday that we weren't ready to talk about the distance thing yet, shows that we've both been thinking about it." She held her hands up like she wanted to strangle something. Then she rubbed her hands over her eyes and looked right at him "Danny, is this a fling?"

Taken aback by the question, Danny took a second to answer. But when he did, it was solid and heartfelt. "No. I don't know what we are, but even from the first time we met, when I hoped to see you again at the bar, I've never thought of us as a fling."

She nodded. "Then you do not get to take responsibility for this on your own. I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew when I said yes that I was going to have to get on a plane at the end of this trip, and that that moment was going to suck. I don't know what we do yet, but I do know that if you can't see that where we are isn't your fault alone - that I have just as much say and effect on... _whatever_ we are - then there's not much point even having that conversation."

She sat back and crossed her arms. Danny thought about her words, and realized that he'd gotten caught in a worry spiral. He'd just assumed that, because he knew there was a goodbye in their future that things would end badly, and that it would be his fault. Because that was the way things worked. He looked up at her, and saw by her expression that she didn't blame him. Oh, she was still pissed at him, no doubt about that, but she hadn't written him off. Yet. And if she did, that would be his fault, because he couldn't accept that she had just as much say in what had, and would, happen.

And then he realized what he hadn't been able to articulate in the truck earlier with Steve. It wasn't the same. He wanted to fight for his growing relationship with Cassie. He wanted it to work, whatever he needed to do. He wasn't going to give up without trying, but more importantly, he realized that she was right there with him. He knew what it was like to go into a fight with good people, and he felt that way now - she had his back and and he had hers. As long as he remembered they were in this together, whatever happened would work out okay.

Danny sighed. "You're right," he said, and she relaxed just a tiny bit. "You know, you forgot something though." Cassie's eyes narrowed, and she gave him a confused look. "Technically," he said, "it can't be my fault, babe," and leaned forward like he was letting her in on a secret. "Because you asked me out first."

Danny was delighted to see the look of surprise cross her face, and then a smug smile.

"Damn straight," Cassie said. She lunged for him and Danny caught her as their mouths met. She pushed him back and he wrapped his arms around her, then slid his hands down to pull her knees toward him. She ended up straddling him as he tried to get as much contact as he could. Between breathless kisses, Danny murmured, "You know, we still have to talk about…"

Cassie leaned back a little, her arms laced around Danny's neck. "Do you want to talk about it now?" Danny laughed, low and husky, and the sound sent delightful shivers through her. "So, that's a no?"

Danny pulled her back to him and took his time kissing her, moving down from her mouth to the bend where her neck met her shoulder. When he looked up again, he said, "If you want to talk now, we will talk now. But, to be honest, my brain is somewhat occupied at the moment." She nodded, but Danny wanted to make sure she was really okay. He was the one that pulled back then, running his hands over her face, brushing her hair back so he could see her clearly. "Hey, Cass. I'm not trying to deflect here. I want to talk - we _have_ to talk - and you're right that I was overstepping on the responsibility front. But I am also really, really turned on. That speech was very hot, babe."

She shook her head at him, but couldn't help the ends of her mouth curling up even though she tried not to smile. "You are incorrigible."

"This is true," Danny said, nodding.

She bent back towards him, holding herself so that only their lips touched, and this time their kiss was intense and slow. Danny lost himself in that kiss, and for once, didn't worry about what was going to happen next.

She slid off him to stand, holding out a hand. He took it and she said, "We'll talk about it tomorrow."


	11. Chapter 11

Danny woke up Sunday morning, eyes slowly opening to find Cassie propped up on one arm, reading a paperback book intently. She didn't look up, completely caught in her book, so Danny enjoyed watching her for a few minutes.

She got to the end of a chapter and looked up while she was turning the page, and blinked in surprise. "Hi. I didn't realize you were awake."

Danny shifted to tuck one arm under his head. "I didn't want to interrupt you. And I like watching you read." She gave him a look and he grinned at her. "Okay, yes, I like watching you in general, but watching you read is fascinating. I didn't know anyone could be that focused."

She smiled, and reached behind her to put the book on the nightstand. Then she scooted over so that she could curl up next to him; he moved so that she could put her head on his chest and he could wrap both arms around her.

"The book is good, but this right here is far more interesting," she said and enjoyed the rumble of his low chuckle.

"You'll get no complaint from me," he said.

"What's your work schedule this week?"

"There's this reception and dinner thing tonight, then I've got a couple of other meetings tomorrow and the signing with UH." She looked up at him. "You know the signing is at the Capitol. You want to walk over and see me be all official?"

"Absolutely. What time?"

"It's at eleven; I'll probably be there around ten. Hey, bring Steve and tell the rest of the team they're welcome to attend, too."

"I will do that. You have anything Monday night?" She shook her head. "Want to have dinner with me and Grace?"

"I would love to." They lay quietly for a few minutes, Danny running his fingers up and down her arm, and Cassie could tell he was thinking so she gave him the time to figure out what he needed to say.

When he spoke again, his voice was low and serious. "I wish I could ask you to stay here with me the rest of the week. I want to spend every minute I can with you before you leave." He paused. "Though to be fair, I'd like to ask you just to stay period." She tensed a little next to him and he tapped her arm gently. "I can't ask you to stay here because Grace is here most of this week. And while I want you to spend time together, having you here might feel weird to her. I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Hey," she propped herself up so she could look him in the eye and said fiercely, "Never apologize for protecting your kid. Grace comes first."

Danny opened his mouth to say the first thing that popped into his mind, but stopped before he said them, instead addressing the second. He tried to say the words lightly. "You know, Hawaii's pretty great; I think you'd like it here."

She laughed at his sudden attitude shift about the state, as Danny had hoped she would. She put her head back on his chest, and Danny wasn't sure if she was trying to hide. Her next words were soft enough that he almost missed them.

"I don't want to get on that plane."

He wanted to say, great, then don't. But what he said was, "I would be fine if you didn't, but you have to go back, don't you?" She nodded. "So the question is, what happens after that. Are we done when you get on that plane?"

"No." She said softly but surely. "At least, that's not what I want."

"Then we agree."

She untangled herself from him and sat up, crossing her legs and creating some space between them. Her knee pressed against his leg, and so he knew she wasn't trying to pull away, she just needed a second to process everything. He let her think and when she held out her hand he sat up and took it.

"What are we talking about?" Cassie asked.

"Honestly, babe, I don't know. The only thing I'm certain of is that I want you in my life. How we do that? I'd like to figure that out together."

Understanding that he'd heard her the night before and got it, Cassie uncrossed her legs and stretched forward to kiss him. Danny wrapped an arm around her pulling her closer, tangling his other hand in her hair. They didn't talk anymore for a long time, and later on, as Danny was on the edge of falling back asleep, he thought about what it would be like to have Cassie there full time. He felt a deep sense of contentment, and for once, no worry about what was going to happen next.

After they woke up for the second time, and made it out of bed, they ended up in the kitchen where Cassie perched on the counter while Danny cooked. She cradled a mug of coffee in her hands, sighing in happiness every time she took a drink.

"You know," Danny said as he flipped an omelet, "they grow good coffee here."

Cassie looked at her mug, then at him, wondering where he was going with that statement. "Yes, I'm drinking it now."

He shrugged, not looking at her, trying not to grin. "Just saying, you move here, you can have coffee like that every day. People think everyone moves here for the beaches, but it's really the coffee."

She narrowed her eyes and stared into the cup, playing along. "That is a definite selling point. Yep, I can see moving here for the coffee." She looked at him wide-eyed and lifted her shoulders. "Don't need any other reason, just the coffee."

He turned the stove off and moved to stand in front of her, sliding a hand behind her neck and pulling her down for a kiss. "How about someone to make the coffee for you?"

She pretended to think about it. "Sure, that might be nice. I've never really been into cabana boys, but baristas? Oh, yeah."

Danny plucked the mug out of her hand and set it on the counter. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her to him. She slid off the counter and down his body, and Danny pressed her against the counter while he kissed her deeply. Danny wasn't sure that they were going to get around to breakfast, but his phone dinged, and he broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

Cassie bowed her head so that her forehead pressed into Danny's chest. She said, "If that's Steve, tell him to go away." She felt him laugh. She lifted her head, and kissed him quickly. "See what your partner wants, and I'll get everything on the table."

Danny checked his phone and sent a quick text off while Cassie cut the omelet in half, plated it, and carried the plates to the table. She grabbed their coffee and a bowl of sliced fruit, and sat down as Danny read another text from Steve. He put down the phone and joined her.

"So apparently our art thieves aren't interested in the art they took. Someone called in a suspicious package this morning, and HPD found the paintings leaning up against a tree in a park, carefully wrapped."

"Well, that's weird," Cassie said.

Danny nodded. "Steve and Kono are following up now."

"When are you going in?"

He appreciated that she asked that question matter of factly and not with any judgement. He showed her his phone with a text from Steve that said: _We've got it covered. Cassie and Grace, those are your priorities today._

She nodded and said, "I don't think I said this last night, but I like your family, Detective Williams."

Danny replied, "They like you, too, babe." He leaned back in the chair and placed a hand on his chest. "I'm still on the fence, of course, but you're growing on me."

Cassie wadded up a napkin and tossed it at him. He deflected it, and pulled her in for one more kiss.

The rest of the morning was relaxed. Cassie drank more coffee while she read over her speech for the next day one more time. Danny, knowing that she was happy with it and was just practicing, teased her about the coffee and suggested things she might include in her speech, like bad space jokes. She rolled her eyes at him and eventually resorted to sitting in his lap and kissing him to make him be quiet.

It was more or less a perfect morning, which meant that when it was time to go, Danny felt the loss keenly. He was quiet leaving the house, and after he put Cassie's bags in the car, he hesitated while opening her car door.

She wrapped her arms around him, and said, "You know I'm coming back here, right?"

He pulled back enough to search her eyes, and saw certainty there. "Promise?"

She put a hand on his face and said seriously, "Promise." Then she grinned and added, "After all, you did say you would make me coffee every day." She pretended to think about it. "You bringing me coffee, preferably in bed, preferably wearing nothing…" She trailed her fingers down his neck in a feathery caress. "Yeah, that's worth coming back for."

He backed her up against the car and said in that low voice that sent vibrations through her, "In this little fantasy of yours, who is wearing nothing?"

She kept stroking his skin, drawing her fingers lightly down into the open neck of his shirt. Her voice was a little breathless. "Ideally, both of us, but you're making the coffee, so, you know, wear whatever protective gear you need for that."

He laughed while he kissed her, pressing her against the car, not caring if they were giving the neighbors a show. When he broke, breathing heavily, he said, "Thank you for that mental image, babe." She laughed and Danny thought about dragging her back inside the house, but they were already running late.

He kissed her again, reverently, less frenetic passion and more a promise for the future. When they broke, he looked in her eyes and saw reflected there what he felt, even though it was something neither of them were quite ready to put a name to yet.

It was even tougher leaving Cassie at her hotel. Danny knew she felt it, too, and if it weren't for another call from Steve and her scheduled work event, Danny was pretty sure he would have stayed there until time to pick up Grace. They made plans for Monday night, and Danny left before he could change his mind about going.

He stopped by the Palace. Steve's call had been about another robbery; he had wanted to give Danny a heads up. Danny had an hour to fill before picking up Grace, so he checked in with the rest of the team to see what he could do.

Chin was at the smart table, and Kono was with Steve at the new crime scene. Lou was at the crime lab with the recovered paintings.

Steve called and filled Danny and Chin in: a high-end jewelry store had been robbed. The store wasn't open, and none of the employees were there when it happened. No alarms had gone off; the only reason the robbery was discovered is that the owner stopped by to pick up something and noticed that the door separating the back office from the showroom was open when it shouldn't have been.

Several of the display cases were open, not broken, but only a few pieces from each had been taken. There wasn't a pattern among the pieces; most of them were expensive, but they varied in type, setting, and jewels.

Danny helped Chin run some checks on store employees and talk out some potential theories, but nothing resonated with either of them. The store owner sent over all his security camera footage, and Danny left Chin to look through it, after Chin reiterated that they had everything covered and Grace was his only concern for the night. So Danny picked up his daughter and spent a quiet evening at home with her.

Later that night, after Grace was in bed, Danny texted Cassie to see if she was where she could talk. His phone rang about thirty seconds later. They talked for a while, Danny telling her about the latest development in the case and Cassie told him about her work dinner. It was just a normal conversation, nothing earth-shaking, and, right then, it was the thing Danny wanted most in the world. Granted, he wanted it to be in person, but he'd take talking to her on the phone any day over not talking to her at all.

They had a moment at the end of the call where neither of them wanted to hang up, and Cassie laughed for a solid minute about their "you hang up first; no, you hang up first" moment. Danny took the sound of her laugh to bed with him, and though he wished she were there, he was still happy just thinking about her.


	12. Chapter 12

The signing ceremony was being held at the Hawaii State Capitol, basically across the street from Five-0 as Steve kept saying. He pestered Danny all morning about walking over for the event, telling him that he should be there to support Cassie. Danny, just to annoy his best friend, kept coming up with reasons why he didn't have time to attend.

Then about forty-five minutes before the event, Steve walked into Danny's office with the final blow. "The governor wants an update in person, and the only time he has is right before the signing event. He's expecting us in twenty minutes."

Danny lifted a hand. "He's expecting you."

Steve pressed his lips together and tilted his head like he was thinking hard, then said, "Nope. He's expecting both of us. He said, and I quote," Steve enjoyed sounding like Danny sometimes, "make sure Williams comes with you. I hear he's particularly interested in the NASA part of the program."

Danny dropped his chin to his chest and muttered, "Why me?" He looked up to find Steve smirking at him. "You are enjoying this way too much."

"The governor busting you on your love life? You bet I am." Steve wondered if there was something else going on. "Do you think she'll be okay with you showing up? Are you worried about distracting her?"

Danny huffed a laugh. "I won't distract her. She's a capable professional and this is her job." He looked at Steve and shook his head. "Yes, I want to be there. I wouldn't miss this." He smirked at Steve.

Steve crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You were planning on going."

Danny stood up and walked around the desk. "Of course I was. And you're going with me, at her request." He waved a hand at Steve's t-shirt. "You think you could put on something more formal?"

Steve stared at him. "Sure. Maybe I should get us some polo shirts with a little Five-0 logo so we always have something more formal to wear."

Danny patted him on the shoulder as he walked by and out of the office. "That'd be great, buddy."

Steve called after him, "You're an ass, Danno."

"Love you, too, brother." Danny called back.

When they walked into the Capitol fifteen minutes later, Steve wearing a dark green button-up shirt he kept in his office, Danny heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Detective Williams, I'm so glad you could make it," Linda Hale said, walking to greet the two men. "And Commander McGarrett."She shook both their hands. "I know you're both busy right now, so thank you for taking the time to come over to brief the governor and stay for this important event."

Danny gave her a look, piecing together where the governor had gotten his information. "You know, I thought you had kids whose lives you could meddle in." He smiled though, to show he wasn't upset.

She laughed and patted his arm. "They're both in college on the mainland, so I have to meddle where I can. I was worried that Cassie wouldn't have a chance to see much of the island, but she mentioned that you had been her tour guide. So I told the governor that having you here today would be a good use of both Five-0's time and his, and that since you've gotten to know our NASA representative, it would be nice for her to have a familiar face in the audience."

Danny shook his head, but said sincerely, "Thank you."

She looked over his shoulder and nodded toward the other side of the room. "You've got about five minutes before the governor is free if you want to go say hi."

Danny turned to follow her look, so he saw Cassie's face brighten when she saw them. She was talking with a small group of what looked like students, but waved in their direction while she kept talking. Danny looked at Steve. "You coming with?" Steve looked a little surprised at the invitation, and Danny rolled his eyes. "Come say hi, Steven."

"I'll see you both later," Linda said, and Danny took a second to stop her, but he couldn't decide what to say, so Linda just smiled in understanding and nodded in Cassie's direction. He and Steve walked across the room, and Danny couldn't help but grin as he watched Cassie talk to the kids. When they got a little closer, one of the boys caught sight of them and his eyes got big. He nudged the kid next to him and whispered loudly, "Dude, Five-0!"

Cassie took that like an easy softball which she then hit to Steve. "Did you guys know that law enforcement uses NASA technology?"

Steve, of course, caught it like a pro. As the kids turned to face him, he nodded and said, "You bet we do. Satellites are key in helping us solve crimes and catch criminals. They provide imagery that we wouldn't be able to get otherwise. Not to mention technology helps us analyze crime scenes and evidence."

Cassie nodded. "That's right. We have scientists that know how to take images and video from our spacecraft and enhance it so they can better study the data, and they've used that same technology to find ways to help law enforcement clean up video and pictures from crime scenes."

"That's so cool," one of the kids muttered. Their teacher thanked Cassie for talking with them, and then directed the kids to go find their seats.

As they moved away, Danny looked from Steve to Cassie. "You planned that, right?"

Cassie grinned and held a hand up for a high five, which Steve gave her. "Nope, we're just that good," she said. Steve smirked at Danny, who shook his head.

Danny groused, "Oh, good. You two get along. This is excellent for me."

Cassie laughed and Danny couldn't help but smile in response. Steve quietly marveled at his partner. He wondered if Danny had talked to her about staying, because he was as relaxed and happy as Steve had ever seen him.

Steve turned his attention to Cassie. "So, Wallace, you ready for your big speech today?"

"Yes," she replied firmly, then she took a deep breath. "I hope so."

Danny touched her arm lightly. "You got this, babe."

From across the room, Steve saw the governor's chief of staff lift a hand to get his attention. He nodded once, and looked at Danny and jerked his head toward the back of the room. Danny nodded.

Steve said to her, "If you need backup, we're here."

Cassie smiled at Steve in thanks. Danny told him, "I'll be right behind you."

Steve said, "You're going to make the governor wait?"

Danny lifted an eyebrow and said dryly, "Why am I here?"

Steve grinned and left him to have a moment alone with Cassie. Danny really wasn't more than a few steps behind him and when he caught up, Steve leaned over and said quietly, "You know what you are?" Danny shot him a sharp look. Steve only looked wise and said, "You, my friend, are smitten."

Danny was saved from making a retort by the appearance of the governor, who beckoned them into a small room. "Commander, Detective - where are we?"

Steve said, "At the moment, we don't have much. There wasn't any evidence on the returned paintings, and both robberies show a high degree of sophistication."

"Do you think they're connected?"

Danny answered that one. "We don't have anything that proves that, but it feels like too much to be a coincidence."

Steve added, "We're looking at anything that might tie them together and we're continuing to run down a few leads on some of the evidence. But unfortunately, we may have to wait for them to make their next move before we see the pattern."

The governor nodded. He didn't like it, but he understood. "Alright. Let me know when you have more." He changed subjects and looked at Danny. "You're both staying for the ceremony, right?"

Danny stuck his hands in his pockets. "In spite of the fact that everyone thinks I needed to be dragged here today, I am most definitely staying."

"Good." The governor's aide caught his attention, pointing to his watch. "Speaking of Ms. Wallace, I'm off to say hello to her and President Tsutsui before we get started." He nodded to them as he walked out, and Danny and Steve made their way back to the main room for the start of the event.

Danny wasn't a huge fan of big formal events, but he had to admit that this one was well-executed and actually fun. The students brought an infectious energy to the room, and all of the speakers took their audience into account keeping their remarks short and light-hearted.

Linda welcomed everyone and talked about how important attracting high-tech industry to the state was, and how to do that, they needed to have a high-tech workforce ready to go.

The governor talked about Hawaii's proud history with the space program, having been both where the Apollo astronauts trained for their lunar walks and the first land they saw after returning to Earth. He talked about the launch the week before, and joked that he was thinking of going back to school just so he could have a chance at one of the NASA fellowships being offered. Though, he noted, lawyers might not be the best candidate for those spots.

President Tsutsui noted that the university was thrilled to be part of this partnership, and encouraged the students to dream big and work hard.

Cassie took the stage and thanked everyone who had made the partnership possible. She talked some about how the partnership would work on the NASA side, and she mentioned some of the other space-related projects happening in Hawaii.

"In my short time here, I've met so many wonderful people who want nothing more than to make their home a better place. And you," she looked at the students sitting in the front rows, "have to continue that work. A lot of people think space is something that's out there, both literally and figuratively. It's not. It's here, with the people who work on the ground, the people who create new technologies and invent things that make the whole world a better place."

She raised a hand. "You might think you need an engineering degree to work in space, but that's not true for everything we do. It's just as important to study business or medicine or coding, and," she looked at the governor, "even lawyers play a critical role in our work." She smiled and he laughed in return.

When she was done talking, the group on stage moved to a small table that had been set up off to the side. Cassie and President Tsutsui sat down to sign the agreement, and the governor stood behind them. He shook their hands when they were done and the photographers moved in while the audience applauded.

Linda stepped to the podium and thanked everyone for coming. The event ended with another round of pictures and students waiting to talk to the speakers.

Danny and Steve stood and waited on the edge of the crowd. Danny turned and saw Jack Kahele walking up to them. The HDEM director offered his hand to Danny and said, "Good to see you again, Detective."

Danny shook his head. "You, too." He turned to indicate Steve. "Have you met Steve McGarrett? Steve, this is Jack Kahele, who runs the Honolulu emergency management department."

Jack shook his head. "We haven't met in person, but I knew your father, Commander. I was an EMT for a few years before he retired, and we worked a couple of scenes together."

Steve shook Jack's hand with the same sense of wonder he always had when he met someone who had known his dad.

Jack nodded toward the front of the room where Cassie was talking animatedly with another group of students. "She's something else, isn't she?"

Danny agreed. "You know, I think she was more concerned about impressing the students than she was the governor. She worked so hard on that speech."

Jack gave him an assessing look that Danny didn't notice, because he was watching Cassie. Steve ducked his head to hide a grin, and Jack shared a sideways look with him. "Well, tell her she did well. I'm hoping she can still drop by the EOC but it looks like we're about to go into full operations mode with this storm coming in."

That did get Danny's attention. "You think it's going to hit Oahu?"

"Maybe. They turn a lot of the time, but better to be ready for it. I'm actually here to brief the governor on our preparations."

Danny nodded. "Good to know." Jack shook hands with them again, and went to brief the governor.

Steve's phone rang, and after listening for a few seconds said, "We're on our way; we'll meet you there."

Danny sighed and said, "Give me thirty seconds." He made his way over to Cassie, and let her quickly know he had to leave and that he'd see her that evening.

All she said was, "You going to bring me coffee?" and gave him a mischievous smile. Danny's world shifted into place with that smile, and he lightly touched her arm and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you tonight, babe."

In the car, Steve waited for Danny to say something, but his partner was being unusually quiet. Though, Steve noticed, he did have a smile on his face. "You want her to stay, don't you?" Steve glanced over.

Danny said, "Of course, I want her to stay. Or, more to the point, I want her to go and then come back for good."

"You know, it took me years to ask Catherine to stay. I should have done it a long time ago."

"Not to put too fine a point on it, my friend, but that's not the most inspiring example since she's not currently here."

Steve shrugged. "But she's not not here either." Danny gave him a look like he'd lost it. Steve tilted his head. "Okay, yes, maybe if I'd asked her earlier it would have made a difference in her not staying in Afghanistan, but that's also what she needed to do, and now we've got another chance and we're making it work."

Danny pressed his lips together. "You're really okay with the long distance thing?"

"I'm really okay with Catherine being happy and feeling like she's doing something worthwhile." Danny raised his eyebrows. "Okay, yeah, I'm not a big fan of the long distance thing. But being in the same place has been the exception for us the entire time we've been together, so it's something we're used to." Steve lifted a hand off the steering wheel in emphasis. "Look, I'm just saying, if you want her to stay, you should tell her."

Danny smiled to himself. "I did."

Steve gave him a sharp look and asked, almost like he wasn't sure he'd heard right, "You asked her to stay?"

"Yes. Well, no, not asked exactly, but we did talk about it."

Steve all but pounced. "What did she say? Does she want to stay?"

Danny turned in his seat to face Steve. His face showed fond amusement. "Look at you. You're really worked up about this, babe. It's kind of sweet, you know, you being all concerned and everything."

Steve gave him an incredulous look. "What did she say, Danny?" Which only made his partner more amused.

Danny settled back into his seat. "We talked about it, okay? Neither of us are ready to figure out the logistics just yet, but we know it's not over when she gets on the plane to go home." Steve was suspiciously quiet, and Danny sighed. "Yes, she has to get on the plane. She has a life and a job and none of that just changes."

Steve heard a tone in Danny's voice that set off a flare. "You said it's not over when she goes home - what does that mean?"

Danny tapped his hand on his knee, wondering if he could get out of this conversation. Steve kept looking over at him, so Danny sighed and answered. "How can I ask her to give up her entire life and move here?" Steve gave him a questioning look, and Danny added, "Me, Steve. Of all people, how can I ask her to do that?"

Steve understood, suddenly, why in spite of the fact that Danny was obviously in love with Cassie, he kept resisting going all in. "What did you say earlier - it's not the same? Well, this isn't the same either."

"If we're going to be together, then she has to move out here. I can't promise that I'll ever move back there."

Steve carefully didn't look at Danny. "What about after Grace graduates?"

Danny gave him a look that indicated he'd just asked a stupid question. "And who is going to keep you out of trouble - I'm sorry, mitigate your getting into trouble since there's no keeping you out of it?" He shook his head and said more quietly, "I like my job, Steven; I'm not ready to give it up yet."

And then Steve did look at him. "You finally consider this place home, don't you?" Danny stared straight forward and refused to answer. Steve smirked. "You do, don't you?"

Danny sighed. "It is, and probably always will be, Gracie's home. And all you wonderful crazy people are my family and I wouldn't just leave you. And I might - might," he emphasized with a finger point, "consider this home if Cassie was able to think of it that way, too."

Steve pulled into a parking spot on the edge of the park, and turned off the car. He looked at Danny seriously. "Cassie wouldn't be giving up her life to move out here; she'd be moving here because she found the life she wants to have."

Danny ran his hand over his eyes. "No pressure there."

"No, Danny, there isn't. Once she makes that choice, it's up to both of you to make it work."

Danny thought about it as Steve turned onto the road leading into the park. And then he thought about something else. As Steve shut off the car, he asked, "Catherine's coming back?"

A small smile played around Steve's lips and he nodded. "For a couple of months, and then she'll see where she gets sent next."

Danny understood better, now, but he couldn't help teasing. As they got out of the car, Danny turned and leaned against the frame of the open door. "You know, you should ask her to stay…"

Steve glared at him, and it was Danny's turn to smirk. Chin joined them, and deciding it was best to ignore whatever heated discussion had been going on, pointed over his shoulder at the park. "Jewels were left in a trash bag stuffed in a small plastic bin.'

Steve went for the spot where the jewels had been found, while Danny stepped back and looked around at the scene as a whole. They met back by the park entrance, and Chin joined them.

"We got one camera at the entrance to the park, but the only thing it captured is a van, which was reported stolen this morning and found abandoned about five miles down the road about an hour ago." He pointed east. "There aren't any cameras in the park itself."

"It's definitely the same crew that took the paintings, right?" Steve asked.

Chin and Danny exchanged a look, agreeing. "It looks like it." Chin said.

Danny mused, "The security system on the paintings… was it the same as the one on the display cases in the store?"

Steve nodded. "They were."

Danny looked around. "Does it feel like..."

"A trial run?" Chin finished.

"Yeah," Danny said. "They're testing out procedures for getting around this particular security systems. They don't care about the stuff."

"So what are they planning to take for real?" Steve asked.

Danny pointed at him. "That, my friend, is the $64,000 question."

"Okay, let's get a list of other places in town with that security system. We know they're not interested in art or jewels - let's see if we can figure out what they might be interested in."

The team split up to check out their few leads. Lou and Kono went to talk with some of their informants to see if there was any word on the street about a new player in town. Danny decided to play a hunch and went to make some phone calls.


	13. Chapter 13

Danny and Grace met Cassie in the lobby of her hotel that evening, where she was sitting on one of the big stuffed chairs and reading while waiting for them. She didn't seem to notice them as they walked up to her and Danny nudged Grace, saying, "She's a very focused reader, isn't she? Let's see how long it takes before she realizes we're here."

Cassie said, not looking up from her book, "I heard that." Grace giggled and as Cassie put the book away, she looked over it and winked at Grace. Cassie didn't stand up yet, so she was still more or less on eye level with Grace. "It's good to see you again, Grace."

Grace said, "You, too. Thanks for having dinner with us."

"You bet. I hear you have some questions for me." Grace nodded. Cassie looked at her seriously and said, "No, I can't launch your little brother on a rocket." She held up her hands. "Sorry, kiddo."

Grace laughed out loud, and Danny shook his head. "You and your bad space jokes. Come on you two - you can talk rocket stuff over dinner." He offered his hand to Cassie and pulled her out of the chair while asking her, "You in the mood for anything in particular?"

"Well, I know what your favorite place is," she told Danny but shared a look with Grace, who giggled again, "so Miss Grace, I would like to know what your favorite place is."

Grace brightened and she gave her father a pleading look. Danny sighed dramatically. "Are you sure? Of course, you're sure. I'm obviously outgunned here." He steered them out of the hotel, keeping his hand on Cassie's back just to be in contact with her.

On the way there, Grace talked about her day at school and cheerleading practice. She mentioned that her math teacher assigned the class a project that asked them to find unusual ways to use math, and Grace had asked to do something on math and sports. Cassie offered to give her the name of some books she might find useful for research.

After they parked, Grace led the way into the kitschy diner, the kind with individual jukeboxes on each table and waitresses that called everyone "hon," and asked for a booth. The hostess sat them along the windows, with Cassie on one side and Grace and Danny on the other. Grace leaned over the table and pointed out her favorite things on the menu to Cassie. Danny kept up a silly running commentary about her choices, and Cassie defended all of Grace's picks. The girls agreed that french fries in chocolate shakes were the best thing ever, while Danny shuddered and pretended that he wouldn't be able to watch them eat.

While they waited for the food to arrive, Cassie asked Grace what she'd thought of the launch.

"The balloon was cool, and watching the ship pick it up out of the water was interesting. But you're right - it was kind of boring otherwise. I did like it when they showed the launch control room. Is that where you were?"

"No, I was in the room next door watching the data come in from the spacecraft. I did stick my head in a couple of times, but," she raised a hand, " _not_ when the camera was on."

"Who were all the people in the room?"

"Well, there was the ground operations team who handled the balloon part, the spacecraft team who managed the little rocket engine and getting the data back, and the Navy team that did the recovery operations."

"What did the spacecraft tell you?" Grace kept firing questions.

"It told us how high and how fast it went, and what the temperature was on both the outside and inside of the craft."

"Because you want to use it to protect future spacecraft from burning up when it lands on another planet like Mars right?" Cassie nodded as she took a drink from her glass. "How does it work?"

Cassie looked over the table and grabbed the salt shaker and the little bowl with creamer containers in it. She dumped out the creamers, and Danny gave her an amused look.

"Very high-tech, babe," he said.

"Work with what you got. Right, Grace?" Grace nodded, so Cassie started her demonstration. The salt shaker was the spaceship landing on Mars - or rather the laid-flat ketchup bottle. "If the salt shaker hits the atmosphere without anything protecting it, it will burn up. So, we put a heat shield around it," she placed the bowl under the salt shaker, "and that keeps the spacecraft safe. What we did with this test was make the heat shield," she tapped the bowl on the table, "out of something different. Like…" she reached and picked up a sugar packet, "this." She tossed the packet to Grace and raised her eyebrows in question.

Grace bent the packet and thought about it. "Because it's lighter and more flexible?"

"Got it in one." She smiled at the girl, and Grace beamed back.

Danny crossed his arms and sat back, looking impressed. Cassie gave him a smug look and Danny wanted to laugh.

"Are you going to launch any more?" Grace asked.

"Not for a few years. We'll run tests on this one and then do a new design based on what we learn." Cassie stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot." She dug in her purse and pulled out a small oval pin, then slid it across the table to Grace. "The official mission pin. It includes something for all those teams to show how we work together."

Grace picked it up carefully and looked at it. She started to hand it back to Cassie, who shook her head. "That's yours, kiddo. You ask good questions, so you've earned that."

Grace looked at her wide eyed, and said, "Thank you."

Cassie replied, "You're welcome. Just promise me you're going to stay interested in science and math, okay?

Grace nodded. Danny was going to offer to help her put on the pin, but his phone rang. He checked the number; it was one of his contacts calling back, hopefully to confirm his hunch. He threw an apologetic look at the girls and slid out of the booth to take the call outside. When he came back, he found his side of the booth empty and Grace sitting next to Cassie, proudly sporting her new pin.

They both laughed at him when he slid back into the booth with a dramatic sigh and a sad face, stretching out on the seat since he had that side of the booth all to himself.

The waitress dropped off their food, and both Cassie and Grace immediately went for the fries and shakes. Danny watched in horrified fascination as the fries went into the shakes and then into their mouths.

"Gotta tell you, Cass, if I'd seen this before we took that walk on the beach…"

There was a very teenage snort from beside Cassie. Grace said, "Please, Danno. Cassie's awesome and you know it."

Cassie's eyes flew up to meet Danny's, surprised and pleased. He grinned at her. Cassie held out a fry and said to Grace, "Fry bump." Grace grabbed a fry and they tapped them together and dunked them in their shakes. Danny shook his head.

After all the food was gone, the waitress came by again to see if they wanted dessert. Grace perked up and said, "Please, Danno?"

Danny gave her an incredulous look. "Have you not eaten anything today? After all that, you need more?"

Grace shrugged. "I like pie."

He looked at Cassie, who also shrugged. "I'm not trying to go against the dad judgement here, but I like pie, too."

He looked back at the waitress and said, "I guess we're having pie." A discussion over the best pie ensued, with input from the waitress who was, of course, the resident expert, and they ended up getting chocolate pecan, coconut cream, and apple.

"Oh, and coffee, please." Cassie added and Danny shook his head again. She grinned at him. "I'll be up at 6 a.m. again tomorrow morning, I'm sure, since I'm still half on East Coast time, and I'll run all this off." She had a thought and told him, pointedly, "On the treadmill in the hotel, Detective."

Danny nodded a thank you at her. His phone rang again, and once more he left them for a minute. When he came back, Grace was sitting where he had been, leaning back with her legs propped up on the seat. She raised her eyebrows at him, and looked at the space next to Cassie.

Danny sat down and leaned over. "I guess I'm supposed to sit next to you."

Grace looked satisfied. She sat back up when the waitress set their pies and coffee on the table.

Cassie took a sip of coffee and sighed, contented. Danny said fondly, "You have a problem, you know that?"

She leaned into him. "Are you really complaining?"

He leaned back. "Just stating a fact, babe."

Grace watched them happily and they all ate pie, switching plates around to try each other's. When they left the restaurant, they decided to walk for a bit. Grace and Cassie window shopped, and Danny was content to just watch them.

His phone rang yet again, but it was Steve this time, and since the girls were a few steps ahead of him, he answered it. Steve beat him to saying anything.

_"_ _Sorry, partner. I didn't want to bother you, but I'm hoping you can check out something out."_

Danny caught on quickly. "One of our potential targets is down here?" Steve knew where they were having dinner, and it was an area with lots of businesses.

_"_ _There's another jewelry store with the same security system. If they aren't a potential target, maybe they were. Can you talk to them?"_

"Text me the address. I'll call you back shortly. I've got something else for you, too."

Cassie heard him talking, and stopped Grace so they could wait on him. He caught up and said, "Once again, I'm so sorry. I need to check on something for Steve."

Cassie said, "We'll be fine. I was going to stop in the book store anyway," she pointed to a store a few doors down. "Why don't you meet us there when you're done?" She looked at Grace. "What do you say, Grace? Want to go find our favorite books?"

Grace nodded and Danny leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Love you, Monkey." He gave Cassie a look that spoke volumes and brushed her arm as he stepped back to leave.

"We'll be in the young adult or teen section," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "That's where your favorite books are?"

She held up a finger. "Don't judge. And yes." She smiled and Danny went off to run an errand for Steve feeling like everything was right with the world.

* * *

Danny walked through the store, looking for Grace and Cassie in the section where she said they'd be. At first didn't see them, but then realized they were both sitting on the floor, side by side with their heads close together as they looked through a small pile of books.

"This one," Cassie was saying, tapping a finger on a book cover, "was my favorite. I love the whole series, but this is the one I've read over and over. Though this one," she held up another book by the same author, "is one I read at least once a year, right about this time of year."

"You read books more than once?" Grace asked.

"I do. They're like friends, and sometimes I just want to hang out with my friends."

Grace giggled. "What about this one?" She held up a book with a dark red cover and fancy writing.

"Oh, yes. The whole trilogy is so, so good. I love every single one of the characters; I still want to be Kami when I grow up." Grace giggled again, since Cassie was talking about being a teenage girl. "Fair warning, though, I bawled at the end of it."

Danny thought that was a bad thing, but Grace looked like she couldn't wait to read it. He pulled his phone back out and snapped a quick picture of the two of them. He sent it to Steve almost without thinking, and got a text back that said: _Ask her to stay._

He leaned against the end of the bookshelves, put his phone away, and watched his daughter with the woman he was falling hard for. He had always worried about Grace getting attached to anyone he dated. But he had also realized that part of it was he didn't know how to share the parent role in his life with anyone but Rachel. He knew Grace was sometimes conflicted over having a stepfather, and he didn't want to add to that with a stepmother.

Over the years, though, as his work team became his family, he had gradually come to understand that Grace had room for more than just a few adults in her life, and they didn't have to be parental types. She had a lot of family, and so did Danny. Chosen family, Cassie had called it, and Danny finally understood that he had that here in Hawaii.

Cassie fit with that chosen family.

He sat on the floor next to them, and Danny had never thought of ending a date on the floor of a bookstore with his daughter in tow, but thought it might be one of the best dates he'd ever been on.

They dropped Cassie off at her hotel, Grace giving her a hug and then saying to her father, "I'll be in the car. Looking at my phone. Not looking anywhere else. Definitely not looking out the window or anything."

Cassie tried not to laugh as Grace got in the car and Danny walked her closer to the door of the hotel. "That's some kid you've got there," she said.

"Tell me about it," Danny took her hands. "Thank you for tonight."

Cassie shook her head. "Thank _you_. I know it's a big deal to have your daughter spend time with your…" Cassie stopped realizing she was about to use a word they hadn't talked about.

Danny caught it, though, and smirked just a little. "Are you not saying it because you don't like the term, or because you think that's not what we are?"

"Well, it does sound very high school."

Danny crossed his arms and grinned. "You just spent an hour in the teen section of a bookstore, babe. And that's not an answer." She was deflecting and Danny wasn't going to let her do that. "But if you like, I'll send you a note in class asking if you want to be my girlfriend."

She rolled her eyes and stepped into his personal space. He automatically uncrossed his arms, and looped them around her waist, hands lightly on her lower back. She rested one hand on his chest and one hand over his shoulder.

Danny watched her until she was ready to talk. "Is that part of figuring this out together?" she asked.

He pursed his lips and nodded. "I think so. It doesn't change all the stuff we still have to work out, but we are in it together, so I think it matters." He tapped her back with his thumbs. "And yes, it is a big deal to have my daughter and my girlfriend spend time together."

She kissed him then rested her head on his shoulder. "Then I'll check yes when you send that note."


	14. Chapter 14

Danny walked into the kitchen to find Grace fixing her breakfast. He poured himself a cup of coffee, smiling to himself, then walked to the table to look through the paper. Grace brought her bowl to the table and sat down, and Danny noticed she looked pensive. "Everything okay, Monkey?" he asked.

She took a bite of her cereal and nodded. "Danno, do you think Cassie might move to Honolulu?"

Danny almost choked on his coffee. "I don't know, babe."

"But you want her to be your girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah, I do." Danny studied his daughter. "Are you okay with that?"

Grace nodded. "I like her. And she's good for you."

Danny's eyebrows went up. "Not that I disagree, but can I ask why you think that?"

Grace shrugged and swallowed another bite of food. "You've been really happy and I think that's good." Danny slowly nodded, but before he could say anything else, Grace changed topics and asked, "Is the hurricane going to hit us?"

Danny took a second to follow her question. "Maybe, but we'll be fine. This is a good, sturdy house, and we're up away from the water. We'll be okay."

"Can Cassie come stay with us? Her hotel is near the water."

Danny kicked himself mentally for not thinking about how the storm would affect Cassie. Hurricanes almost never actually hit Oahu, and although it looked like this one was going to go right across the Big Island, which was also unusual, most of what Danny had heard suggested it would weaken enough after doing so to not be much of a threat to Oahu. But the storm was likely to mess up flights for several days - though if it kept her here for a few more days, Danny wouldn't complain.

"Thank you for thinking of that, Grace. Would you mind if she did stay with us? This is your home, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm not a little kid. It won't scar me forever to have your girlfriend here while I'm here."

"Hey," he reached out and tapped the table in front of Grace so she would look at him, "you know that you are my priority, right? Nothing changes with you and me just because I like Cassie."

Grace put her spoon down, finished, and stood up. She gave Danny a hug and said, "I know, Danno." She picked up her bowl and carried it to the sink.

Danny turned to watch her with one arm over the back of his chair, the other tapping a finger on the table, thinking.

* * *

The team spent the first part of the morning chasing down leads. They were narrowing down the list of potential targets, but no closer to figuring out what their thieves were after. Whoever they were, they were good. They'd left no physical evidence at any of the scenes that was worth anything.

Playing Danny's hunch had yielded some potentially helpful information. There had been similar strings of robberies in Miami, Kansas City, and Portland over the last six months. Not always the same kind of security system, but close enough that it tracked as someone practicing. In none of those robberies had anything been taken, so it was mostly chalked up to mischievous employees or just weird coincidence.

Steve and Danny were out talking to the company that installed the system at the jewelry store, and they'd just gotten back in the car when Steve got a call about another robbery in progress at a bank on the other side of town. He took off, Danny reaching for the upper edge of the window and wondering if today was the day Steve was going to kill them in a fiery wreck.

It was almost a relief when his phone rang. Knowing she had a packed morning and wouldn't be able to talk, he'd texted Cassie when he and Steve had headed out, asking her to call when she got a few minutes. Steve laughed, figuring out that Danny's ring tone for Cassie was _Rocket Man_. Danny flashed a grin at him and answered quickly. "Hey, babe. How's the meeting going?"

_"_ _Well, it would be great if anyone could focus on what we're here for. Everybody is a little freaked out over the hurricane watch that was just issued. Have you all heard anything about evacuations or the airport closing?"_

"Hang on, Cass. I'm putting you on speaker." Danny put the phone on speaker and continued. "That's why I wanted you to call. I talked to Jack Kahele this morning, and he said they're going to issue some evacuation notices soon, mostly for areas along the water. I don't know about the airport, though, though I did see that airlines are letting people change their flights."

Steve spoke up. "Most likely they'll close it tomorrow morning."

They could hear Cassie's sigh through the phone. _"How bad do you think it's going to be?"_

"There's still a chance the track will shift west, but it looks like even if it does, Honolulu is still going to get clipped," Steve said.

_"_ _And that will be the worst part, since it will be the back edge."_

Steve agreed, "Yeah. It should only be a Cat 2 when it gets here, but it's not going to be any fun. They're sending hurricane hunters out in a bit; we'll know more after that."

Danny asked, "Are you hearing anything from the hotel?"

_"_ _They're boarding up now, and told us that they'll suggest anyone not leaving move inland tomorrow morning as a precaution. And yeah, a bunch of people at the meeting are already trying to change their flights. Hurricane talk has kind of become a thing around here; nobody can focus on anything else."_

Steve glanced at Danny. "How many of your people are still here?"

_"_ _Just a few. The ground team left over the weekend, and so it's those of us that stayed for the event yesterday and the meeting today. Susan was already booked on a flight this afternoon, so she's good."_

"When's your scheduled flight out? Steve asked.

_"_ _Thursday."_

"Yeah, you're not getting out then."

_"_ _I know."_

"Do you want to try and get on a plane today? I can see what we can do to help." Danny whipped around to glare at his partner, spreading his hands to say what are you doing, stop it now. Steve, for once, kept his eyes impassively on the road, thinking I got this, Danny.

 _"_ _I'd like to get my people out if possible, but…"_ They could hear her take a deep breath. _"I don't particularly want to leave early."_

"Good." Steve said firmly, as he turned the steering wheel, directing the car into a lot filled with HPD cars, an ambulance, and Grover's truck. He stopped next to the truck, and put the car in park.

Danny took the phone off speaker and, to Steve, said, "Give me a second," then into the phone, "Hey, babe. We're at a scene. Don't make any plans yet, okay? I'll call you in an hour or so. And the good for you not wanting to leave early? That goes double for me."

Danny got out of the car, slammed the door, and went to stand next to his partner, who was surveying the scene. Continuing to look over the cars, people and police tape, Steve said, "She's not staying at a hotel during the hurricane, Danny."

"Oh, hell, no," his partner agreed.

* * *

The bank scene was different than the others. First, the bank had been open and people were scattered throughout the bank. The robbers had come in dressed in street clothes, and had gotten in by requesting a safe deposit box. But one of the security guards had seen something that set off a red flag and he'd gone to the vault to ask the couple to return to the main part of the bank. When he got there, he saw multiple boxes open and drew his weapon, yelling at them to put their hands up and leave the vault. The robbers were also armed and fired back, injuring the guard badly.

That was another deviation from their plan, and Danny thought it meant they were either getting bolder in their plans, or something had gone wrong.

Another difference was that they hadn't taken anything. Boxes in different sections were open and some of them were pulled out, but nothing inside the boxes was disturbed. It didn't even look like they had rifled through them, but Danny wasn't sure if they hadn't had time or were, like the other scenes, what was in the boxes didn't matter.

But now they had a witness, once he was able to talk to them, and they actually had some physical evidence this time.

Danny and Steve went to the hospital to talk to the witness, while the others finished processing the scene and worked with the crime lab.

The security guard was awake, although pretty well doped up on painkillers when Danny and Steve walked into his room. The doctor admonished them to keep it short, and left the room.

They got decent descriptions of the two robbers the guard saw, a man and a woman, but they probably weren't going to be terribly useful since they had been wearing glasses and the guard was sure they were also wearing wigs since one of them fell off in the brief gunfight. Danny and Steve exchanged a look - they'd found a wig at the scene and the guard's story confirmed that it was evidence.

The guard also said that he heard them talking when he walked into the vault, but all he remembered was something about the letters AGT and overriding their alarms. Something about that made Danny think he'd heard it before, but he couldn't remember where.

When Danny got a text from Cassie that the meeting was ending early so that anyone who wanted to try and fly out could, Steve insisted that Danny go pick her up and either bring her to the office or take her home. He dropped Steve off, called Cassie, and since she said the hotel was a madhouse, he parked in front of the building and waited for her.

Cassie walked out the front door and saw Danny leaning against the side of his car, hands stuck in his pockets. He looked just a little smug. As she got close, he cocked his head to one side and said, "So. You really don't want to leave, huh?"

"I can't leave, Danny."

"That's not what you said. I believe I heard the words I don't want to leave come out of your mouth."

She stopped in front of him and looked around. "Well, who wouldn't want to stay? The weather is outstanding, I adore spending time with tourists, and," she glanced at three surfers walking by clad only in board shorts, carrying surfboards, "the scenery is fantastic."

"Hey," he waved his hands, "right here."

She grinned and put her hands on his chest, sliding them up to his shoulders. "As nice as the view is, I've discovered I have a thing for cute cops from New Jersey. Know where I might find one of those in Hawaii?"

He took her hands, placing them behind his neck so that her arms wrapped around him, and pulled her close. "I might know a guy." He kissed her deeply. One of the guys with surfboards whistled and another called, "Nice, brah." Danny waved one hand at them as Cassie laughed and hid her face in his chest. He enjoyed just holding her for a moment.

"So, we're supposed to start feeling the storm sometime tomorrow evening," he said, still holding her, one thumb tapping gently against her back.

"Mmm-hmm. The hotel told us that they'll take us to another hotel inland tomorrow morning. I'll be there until the storm clears."

Danny snorted. "No, you will not. You'll be with me and Grace. I'm here to get you and your stuff so you can come home with me."

Cassie stepped back. "Danny, that's…"

"Fine with Grace and basically an order from Steve."

"You asked Steve if I could stay at your house?"

He rolled his eyes. "There was no asking, only an assumption that I would do what he said. Which, in this case, he's right." Danny pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. "And as backup, here's a note from Grace."

Cassie looked at him in question, then unfolded the note and read: _Cassie, you should come stay with us during the hurricane. Dad asked me if it was okay and I said yes. The storm might be scary, especially if you're by yourself in your hotel, and you'll be safe with our ohana. And it's okay with me if you want to be his girlfriend even though you live far away. Uncle Steve still likes Aunt Cath even though she's far away right now, so I think Danno would be okay with that too. But if you want to move here, that would be even better._

Cassie stared at the note for what felt like a long time, and Danny began to worry. When she looked up, he worried more. "Hey, what does she say?"

"You haven't read this?"

"No, she wrote it in the car on the way to school. Told me that I should give it to you if you were worried about coming to stay with us and that I couldn't read it until you had."

Cassie smiled. "You are such a good dad."

"Maybe not, considering my kid is making you cry right now."

She handed him the note and quickly wiped away the tears. "This is one hell of a permission slip."

Danny read it quickly, brain freezing over the last half of the note.

"I know, right?" Cassie said. He looked back at her, expression carefully blank. "It's okay, Danny. This is really sweet of Grace, but it doesn't… I mean… It's fine."

"Out of the mouths of babes, right?" He said, almost to himself. He held up the note. "This means everything, but mostly that my kid is smarter than I am, which is not a big surprise." Danny gently cupped the side of her face with one hand, thumb tracing where the tears had fallen. "You and I are going to sit down and figure out how we make this work, okay? I know we're in agreement on wanting it to work, but we've been avoiding discussing logistics."

Cassie studied him. Blue eyes looked back, clear and confident. "You have a plan?"

His head dipped to one side and he squinted at her. "Not as such, not yet. But I think I'm spending too much time with Steve, since I'm not so worried about having a plan. We'll figure it out."

She nodded. "I'm in."

* * *

Cassie hadn't been kidding about the hotel being chaotic. She went on to her room to pack while Danny waited in line at the desk to let them know that she was checking out. He met her in her room, and watched her as she finished gathering her things. There wasn't anything he could really do to help, and so he mostly paced the room and tried to stay out of her way.

Noticing he was distracted, Cassie asked, "How's the case going?"

Danny lifted a hand in a half-shrug. "The scene we were at was another robbery, this time at a bank. We got some new evidence, and a few details from the security guard." He leaned against the wall. "The guard heard the thieves talking, but he didn't get much. Still, it's more than we had before."

"What did he hear?" She stopped and looked at him. "Wait, can I ask that?"

He huffed a little laugh. "As long as you're not going to talk about it outside this room, yes. He heard them mention overriding alarms, which I'm guessing means this was another trial run, and the letters AGT. We don't know what that is." He saw a flash of something on Cassie's face. "Does that mean something to you?"

"In my world, it does. AGT is AeroGen Technologies. They mostly work in aviation, with autonomous aircraft and air traffic control. They've got locations around the country, but I think they're headquartered in southern California."

Danny's memory snapped into place. "Their CFO was at the conference, right? We ate lunch with him; he asked me about crime stats." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Do you know if they have an office here in Hawaii?"

Cassie shook her head. "I don't think so. I don't remember him mentioning that. Linda would know, though, and would know how to get in touch with their guy."

Danny tilted his head. "So why is Hawaii important to our thieves?"

Cassie folded a few things, put them in a bag, and zipped it shut. "Well, if they are after AGT, the company has a lot of military contracts. There are also a couple of companies here on Oahu that are testing new ATC systems." Danny threw her a questioning look. "Air traffic control. I wouldn't be surprised if AGT is looking to partner with one of them."

Danny thought for another moment. It would make sense for the robbers to show up at the same time as someone senior from the company if there was something specific from that company they were after. But… "If they don't have an office here, what are our thieves after?"

Cassie said, "They do mostly hardware for ground systems, and it tends to be cutting-edge stuff." She checked the clock and added, "If you want, I can call one of our guys in California who does aeronautics. He'd know what AGT is working on right now."

Cassie watched the thought process play out on his face, going through all the angles, discarding some ideas, and could see the second he decided to pursue a particular path. He looked at her and his sharp gaze was confident and certain, and it was attractive as hell.

Even though Danny had asked her who knows how many questions in the short time they'd known each other, it was clearly Detective Williams who said, "I'd appreciate that, thanks. And would you mind coming back to Five-0 with me and filling us in on what you know about the company? Maybe look over some other stuff to see if anything jumps out at you?"

She really wasn't sure how anyone ever said no to him, especially when he was like this. "If you think I can help, of course."

He must have heard something in her voice, because his expression softened and he moved to stand in front of her. He reached out and rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry, babe. I hate to drag you into this, but I think you may have just made an important connection. And if this company is the real target, we may need your expertise again to tell us what we're looking at."

She scrunched up her forehead. "You don't think the company will do that?"

Danny waved a hand. "You'd think they'd do everything they could to help us, and they might. But if they're the target, it's for a reason, and it wouldn't be the first time the potential victim has obstructed us." He squeezed her arm. "I wouldn't ask you to come in if I didn't think there's a good chance you'll be able to help."

She nodded. "Then I'm all yours." He raised his eyebrows and she blushed. Then she rolled her eyes. "Please, you know that." He got that smug look again and stepped in closer to her. Cassie wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "You keep looking at me like that and we may not make it out of the hotel."

He laughed low and knowingly, and pulled her closer. "I would like that, since even though you have the permission slip to end all permission slips, I will still be sleeping on the couch for the next few nights." She smiled at him, understanding why he felt like he had to do that. "But there are bad guys to catch and a hurricane to weather and a teenager to pick up from school."

She studied him. "You are such a good man."

It was his turn to color slightly, although Cassie was certain he never would have called it a blush. He ran his hand over her hair and down her back. "You almost packed?" he asked.

"Give me two more minutes," she said and started to step away, but he pulled her close again.

"Good. Then we have a few minutes…" He kissed her and she forgot about everything else that was happening and just lost herself in him for a few minutes.

* * *

Steve wasn't too surprised to see Cassie walk in with Danny, but he was surprised when Danny beckoned them all to the smart table and brought her with him. He was even more surprised when Linda Hale followed them in. Danny greeted her with a quick handshake and directed her to the table.

Danny said to the rest of them, "I think we've got something." He gestured to include Cassie and Linda. "Chin, can you pull up the website for AeroGen Technologies?"

Steve got it immediately. "AGT."

"Yeah," Danny said. Chin found the company's site and threw it up on the screen. Danny looked at Cassie. "You're up, NASA."

Cassie nodded and looked at everyone around the table, who was looking back interested and intrigued, but not unwelcoming. She took a deep breath and jumped in. "AGT works with autonomous aircraft - drones - mostly for the military. They don't build the aircraft, but they create the ground systems that control them. They also play pretty heavily in air traffic control, again designing and building the ground control systems. A lot of their work is done on military contracts, but word is, they'd like to get into the civilian side as well." She looked at Linda.

Linda looked at Chin. "Can you go to their news page?" He did, and the first thing to pop up was a press release from a few months back announcing that AGT was partnering with a new company called BlueSkies. They would be opening an office in Honolulu and testing a next generation air traffic system.

Linda said, "BlueSkies is a tech startup based here in Honolulu. Their founder and CEO, Kai Pukui, is from Hawaii – he went to college on the mainland, started and sold a few companies in Silicon Valley, and moved back home for his next venture. He wants to be the Elon Musk of aviation, but right now all he has is money and some brilliant software coders."

Cassie took over. "AGT does hardware. They generally subcontract out for the software piece of their deliverables. I talked to one of my guys on the aviation side of the house, and he said that about two years ago, AGT started losing contracts because their software subcontractors weren't getting the jobs done right."

Linda picked up the thread. "It was a big deal - they very publicly cut ties with their subcontractor and started looking for a new partner. They deliberately went looking for a startup, I think hoping that they could perhaps buy a new company and bring that capability in-house. When they announced the partnership with BlueSkies, though, there was some speculation that Pukui was going to buy AGT. They're getting ready to make a big announcement next week; much of the AGT senior leadership has been here in Honolulu for the last month or so, but their CEO flew out here yesterday."

Danny added, waving a hand at Linda, "Their chief financial officer was at the conference last week. I talked to him for a few minutes."

Steve crossed his arms and asked, "What's their big announcement?"

Linda replied, "It's a demonstration of their new system, AGT-built and BlueSkies-coded. They're expected to announce a new contract with the military to install ground systems at our overseas bases that creates an air traffic network for military drones. If it works, I expect it could be used for civilian UAVs on the mainland as well."

Chin said thoughtfully, "So, this new contract could be a game changer for both companies."

Cassie nodded. "Nobody wants multiple air traffic systems, so if they get theirs out there first and it works, they're it."

Steve looked at Danny. "They're going after the new system."

Danny tilted his head. "It's the only thing that makes sense. If the system is that valuable, they're going to have it under lock and key. On all the targets to date, the security system has been new top of the line tech. Stands to reason they would have a good security system."

"But why the targets they've already hit?" Kono asked the question they were all thinking. "They're completely outside this profile."

"They're playing rope-a-dope," Lou said.

Danny pointed a finger at him in agreement. "Exactly. The pattern has been the same in every city."

"Art museum or gallery, jewelry store, bank," Chin stated. "And the items were always returned." He looked at the rest of the team. "We're supposed to be looking in that direction."

"So we think their next target will be the real thing," Steve said. "When is the demonstration?" he asked Linda.

"A week from today." They all pondered that information. It was a fairly long window of time unless there was something else the thieves were considering.

Kono looked up and said, "They're going to use the storm as a distraction."

Everybody thought about that. "Yeah, but how did they know it was going to hit?" Chin asked.

Kono shrugged, "What if they didn't? They've obviously been prepping for some time. Maybe all they were waiting for was the prototype to arrive."

Cassie and Linda exchanged a look, which Steve caught. "Speak up, you two. What do you think?"

Linda nodded at Cassie, who said, "This is gossip, so take it as you will. Another friend who works for an industry association said that when AGT split with their subcontractor, that company basically went bankrupt. The fight between the two got personal and mean, and apparently, the last time anyone from the subcontractor showed up at an industry event, they got very drunk and spent a lot of time talking very loudly about how AGT wouldn't be around much longer. But that was almost a year ago."

Steve nodded. "So, the operation is being timed not just to steal the tech, but also to humiliate AGT, which still means they could move any time before the demonstration.

Lou nodded. "Using the storm as a distraction makes sense, though. People are going to be hunkered down and emergency services will be focused elsewhere."

Danny agreed, "And after their debacle at the bank, they probably think they're better off with us being distracted."

Steve said, "Okay. Linda, can you get us in the door at BlueSkies to talk to them and AGT?"

"I can."

"Great, thanks. You're with me and Danny. Cassie, can you stay here with Kono and build out our profile on all the companies? Go over the evidence we have and see what fits and what doesn't. And see if you can find the name of the drunk subcontractor." Steve looked at Chin and Lou. "You two should go finish your storm prep. Once Danny and I learn where the demonstration is taking place, we'll all swap and you can check out the location."

The team broke up to work on their assigned tasks and Steve stopped to talk to Cassie, who was looking a little bemused. "Good job, Wallace."

She gave him an uncertain smile. "Thanks." She hesitated, then asked. "Are you sure you want me here?"

Steve nodded firmly. "You and Linda are our field experts. You know the players better than we do, and we need your eyes on this to tell us if we're missing something." He leaned toward Cassie and held her gaze, wanting her to understand that he was sincere. "Danny brought you in on the case, and that means he thinks you're an asset. I agree, especially after everything you just told us." He leaned back and tilted his head toward Danny, adding in a lighter tone, "Besides, maybe you can keep him out of trouble."

"I am not the troublemaker in this room, partner." Danny called from across the room.

"Okay, then." She set her shoulders and looked over at Kono. "Where do we start?"

* * *

Having Linda there made all the difference in their reception at BlueSkies' office. She knew Pukui's executive assistant, and so Linda called her on their way over and asked for a quick chat with the CEO. The three of them were shown into his office right after they arrived, and Linda asked if anyone from AGT could join them.

When the AGT people walked into the room, Linda introduced Danny and Steve to Pukui, David Barlow, the AGT CEO, and Paul Troxell, the CFO, who recognized Danny; when he shook Danny's hand he said, "Why do I have the feeling this isn't a social call?"

Danny said, "It isn't. We've been working a string of robberies here on Oahu, and we think they might have a connection to your companies."

Steve explained the robberies and that they were connected by what security systems they victims had used. He asked about their system, and Pukui gave them the name of a different system. But then Barlow added that there was another security system on site because of a prototype AGT had there for a demonstration next week.

Danny asked a few questions about the prototype and the demonstration, and while all three men were helpful, they insisted they couldn't think of any reason they would be a target.

Using a strategy they'd discussed on the way over, Linda asked about problems with their last subcontractor. She was sympathetic and kind, but also asked the question in such a way that they couldn't deny there had been trouble. Danny and Steve watched them closely, and while Pukui looked confused, Barlow and Troxell looked mad and upset, respectively.

Steve's phone vibrated with a text. He turned away to check it, and when he turned back, he asked, "Mr. Barlow, who is Eli Greer?"

Barlow cursed, and Troxell responded. "He was the head of the project that failed. They fired him before we ended our partnership with the company. I don't know what happened to him."

Steve showed them a picture on his phone. "He was seen flying into the Honolulu airport four weeks ago."

Barlow said, "There you go. Arrest him."

"We don't have any physical evidence that connects him to the other crimes. And you said you were sure that you weren't a target." Danny sounded reasonable.

Barlow threw up his hands, frustrated. "Then why are you even here?"

Troxell stepped in front of him, and asked, "What do you need us to do, Detective?"

Steve and Danny exchange a quick look, and Danny took the lead. "Is the prototype something Greer would want to steal?"

Troxell thought about it. "It's possible. He actually pitched a similar idea to us once, but he went around his bosses to do it. He had more problems than just our project; I think that's why they fired him."

Steve asked point blank, "Is the prototype based on his idea?"

Barlow was outraged. "Are you accusing us of stealing his idea?"

Before Steve could respond, Troxell answered, "No. His idea was a concept for the system, but he didn't have any hardware or software designs. It was a back of the napkin thing, and frankly, it's something that half a dozen companies have been pursuing for a few years now. The hardware is cutting-edge, but it's a basic design we've used for other systems. It's the software that makes it unique." He pointed toward Pukui.

Danny nodded. "Okay, here's what we're going to ask you to do. We need access to the location where the demonstration is going to be held, and we need to know the plans for the event. Plus anything else you can tell us about Greer."

Troxell looked at Barlow and Pukui, who both nodded. Pukui spoke up. "I'll have our event planner put together all that information. When would you like to see the site?"

"Later today," Steve said. "Two other members of Five-0 will be there to take a look around."

Danny added, "We think that if your prototype is the target, they may use the storm as a distraction, so we'll need access to the site for the next few days."

Troxell said, "Let me get you the rest of the information."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note about the weather: This story was written last year (and dreamed up in the year before that) when it had been a long time since Hawaii faced a serious hurricane threat. Keeping the islands in my thoughts and hoping everyone stays safe and well.


	15. Chapter 15

Because they had a name to go on, they were able to start working on placing Greer in the cities where the other robberies had taken place. The team rotated tasks, some of them staying at the office to run down leads while the others cleared their yards and boarded up windows.

Danny and Cassie went to pick up Grace, and the excited smile on the teenager's face was enough to assure Cassie that Grace was happy to have her there.

They stopped by Steve's first to help him get the house ready. Cassie and Grace carried in outdoor furniture while Steve and Danny put plywood over the windows.

When they had everything ready, they took a few minutes to go sit on the beach behind the house and watch the waves, which were already kicking up. Danny stayed well clear, sitting in one of the chairs. Cassie stayed with him, sitting in the other chair, and they watched Grace and Steve venture closer to the waves.

Cassie could tell that Danny wasn't exactly comfortable with Grace being that close to the turbulent water, and she knew it was a sign of how much he trusted Steve and how much he refused to let his own fear affect his daughter that he didn't say anything. After a few minutes of watching him sit there with every muscle tensed, she extended her leg so she could gently nudge his foot with hers, and he looked over at her, startled.

She gave him a wide-eyed look and said, "Hey, do you know where astronauts keep their sandwiches?"

He stared at her in disbelief at first, but something about the stupid joke and the expression on her face, which had turned understanding and kind, made him relax. She was giving him an opening to be distracted from worrying, in a way that didn't feel like she was telling him to stop doing it. If he wanted to worry, she'd let him - be right there beside him, even - but if he wanted to give his mind something else to focus on, she was there for that, too.

He shook his head in mock despair. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but where?"

She grinned. "In a launch box!"

He wanted to touch her. Well, what he really wanted was to pick her up and carry her off somewhere they could be alone for a few days. What he did was say, "And I'm incorrigible?"

She sighed happily. "I guess we're two of a kind, then."

Danny nudged her foot back. "I guess we are." They sat in comfortable silence, Danny letting go of that instant of worry because everything really was okay. Danny had the thought that just as he trusted his best friend with his daughter's safety, he trusted the woman beside him with his.

* * *

Steve followed them back to Danny's house so they could repeat the process of storm prep there, and they got mostly finished by the time Danny called a halt for dinner.

The meal was an exercise in adaptability. Danny had decided it would be best to clean out the refrigerator since the power would likely go out. Grace laughed as the three adults stood there with the fridge door open staring inside trying to figure out what to cook. Finally, Steve stepped back and clapped his hands once.

"Alright, let's pull everything out and see what we've got."

Danny raised an eyebrow at him and said mildly, "Now you're in charge of my kitchen?"

Steve shrugged. "I've got field experience."

Danny crossed his arms, leaving one hand untucked so he could gesture with each question. "You've got field experience? With food? Is that even a thing?"

Grace looked sideways at Cassie, checking to see how she was reacting to the standard brotherly bickering. Cassie looked at her and dryly said, "So you're the adult in the family, huh?" Grace giggled.

Steve smirked and Danny just shook his head, pointed toward the fridge, and said, "Well?"

Steve started pulling things out and handing them to Danny, who arranged them on the counter. Cassie and Grace studied the collection of random vegetables, condiments, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. Cassie asked the teenager, "What do you think - breakfast for dinner?" Grace nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, then. Scrambled eggs or frittata?"

Grace thought about it. "Frittata."

Cassie nodded. "You want to start on the eggs or you want to help me make biscuits?"

"Biscuits?" Danny asked.

"You have flour, right?" He pointed toward a cabinet. "Then, biscuits."

Grace came to stand next to her. "Can I help you?"

Cassie grinned at her. "You bet. Grab the flour, kiddo, and we'll get started while your Dad and Uncle Steve start on the eggs and veggies." The guys were staring at her, and Cassie looked at them. "That plan okay with you?" she asked mildly.

"I'm good with that," Danny said quickly, while Steve responded, "Sounds great." They started moving, while Cassie and Grace worked at the other end of the counter.

Danny turned on some music and immediately vetoed the current pop station that came on, even though Grace nodded. "Sorry, babe, you're stuck with the old crowd tonight." He found an 80s and 90s station, and turned it up.

They worked in concert, occasionally bumping into each other or grabbing for the same thing at the same time. Cassie taught Grace how to make biscuits, and Danny laughed when they both ended up covered in flour. Cassie winked at Grace, and both of them swarmed Danny from either side in a hug that left Danny covered in flour, too.

Steve showed off his knife skills chopping vegetables, while Danny admonished him to be careful. Steve critiqued Danny's method of beating the eggs and Danny threatened to find a music station that played nothing but Bon Jovi if he didn't stop.

Cassie got Grace to dance around the kitchen with her when The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" came on. They bounced in time to the song and twirled and laughed, then Grace grabbed her dad's hand and made him spin her around. When she let go, she went to Steve and made him do the same thing. Danny held his hand out to Cassie and her smile made his heart skip. She took his hand and he spun her around like he had Grace, then pulled her close and whirled her out again still holding her hand. He pulled her back and dipped her a little just as the song ended and Grace applauded.

The oven timer went off, so Danny reluctantly let Cassie go. Her hand lingered on his arm as she moved toward the oven, asking Grace to get oven mitts.

Steve watched his partner with a small smile on his face. It was good to see Danny happy. And when the man looked at him with a silent _what is it, Steven_ on his face, Steve mouthed "Smitten." To which Danny only grinned and shrugged, acknowledging the point gladly.

The conversation over the meal was just as lively as the preparation had been. They told stories, teased each other, and generally had a good time. Danny was proud of Grace, holding her own with the other adults and having a wonderful time. And the more he watched Cassie with his daughter and his best friend, he knew that she belonged there with all of them.

After dinner, Danny and Steve went outside to finish boarding up windows, while Cassie and Grace talked about her math homework and cleaned up.

"This was fun," Grace said, as she finished wiping the counters, getting all the last bits of flour and everything else.

Cassie folded the dish towel. "It really was."

"Danno and I cook together a lot. I like that."

"My family likes to cook together, too. It's loud and messy, but it's so much fun."

"Madison's sister says that she's looking for a guy that will cook for her. She says that's how you know a guy likes you."

Cassie leaned on the counter next to the teenager and looked thoughtful. "What do you think?"

Grace shrugged. "I think it's nice, but I don't know that it means someone likes you."

Cassie nodded. "It can be one way to show somebody you care about them. You know, my dad learned how to make my mom's favorite meal just so he could cook it for her, and that's how he proposed." She smiled wistfully. "My mom loves to tell that story." She looked at Grace. "But you know what else she says? Find a guy you can cook with. If you can cook together - share kitchen space, make messes and clean them up, fix recipes that go sideways - and have fun doing it, you know you've got something strong."

Danny had walked back inside to grab something, and he didn't want to interrupt this moment, so he stood in the doorway listening as his girls talked and thought about what it would be like to have this all the time.

* * *

The next morning, Danny heard Cassie in the kitchen, and got up to spend a few minutes with her before Grace woke up. He dressed quickly and when he got to the kitchen, she was just hitting the on switch to the coffee maker.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck gently as she leaned back against him.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said quietly, but Danny could hear the smile in her voice as she crossed her arms over his.

"You can wake me up anytime," Danny said suggestively, and she laughed softly.

"Hope you don't mind me making coffee," she said.

Danny turned her so that she faced him, and linked his hands around her waist. "My coffee pot is your coffee pot, babe."

Cassie laughed again and Danny smiled at her, happy to hear that sound first thing in the morning. But he wanted her to know that he was thrilled that she was comfortable enough to find her way around his house, so he added more seriously, "I don't mind. I like that you feel like you can be at home here." Then he grinned at her. "Besides, I know what you're like without caffeine, and I do not want to be the cause of that."

She rolled her eyes, and he pulled her in for a long kiss. They both heard a grumbly noise from the doorway and realized that Grace was awake and there. Danny broke the kiss and stepped back a bit, but he didn't let go. Danny called cheerfully, "Morning, Monkey," over his shoulder.

The response was another grumble, followed by a muttered, "Adults." They heard a chair being scraped over the floor and a body dropping heavily into that chair.

Danny bit his lip to keep from laughing. He turned and went to drop a kiss on his daughter's head, which was propped with her forehead balanced on curled arms laying on the table. "Leftovers okay for breakfast?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, voice muffled by her arms. "Hi, Cassie."

"Morning, Grace," Cassie replied, leaning against the counter, not quite sure what to do with herself. Danny gave her a reassuring touch on the arm as he passed by to get leftovers out of the refrigerator, so she started pulling plates out of the cabinet.

When the coffee pot beeped that it was done, Grace lifted her head off the table. "Dad, can I have some coffee?"

Cassie who had been getting two mugs out of the cabinet, looked at Danny and picked up a third mug with eyebrows raised in question. He said, "A little bit, and only with plenty of milk." He pulled the carton of milk out and put it on the counter next to Cassie.

Cassie started to pour coffee into the mugs with her left hand. Grace got up from the table and came to stand on her right, just barely leaning into Cassie's side. When Cassie got to the last mug, she poured about a quarter of a cup and Grace looked up at her with big eyes. Cassie gave Danny a slightly panicked look and he nodded once almost imperceptibly. She poured a bit more and set the pot down. Grace gave her another pleading look, but Cassie firmly handed over the milk instead. Grace sighed, but she leaned into Cassie a bit more as she poured the milk. Cassie ran a hand over Grace's hair, and shared another look with Danny, who wanted to tell her that she was doing fine.

Grace took her mug and sat back down at the table, while the adults finished fixing breakfast. She perked up again when there was the sound of a knock, and then a key in the front door.

Steve called, "Morning," as he walked into the kitchen. Cassie pulled down another mug and held it up in question. "Please," he said.

Danny, used to having his partner walk in more or less unannounced, asked, "Want breakfast?"

"No, thanks, I'm good."

Danny fixed Grace's plate, and took it to her at the table. Steve sat down next to Grace and stole a tomato off her plate. "Hey!" Grace said, and Steve gave her a smirk much like the one he liked to use on her father.

Danny set down plates for him and Cassie, and pointedly told Steve, "Don't annoy the teenager. At least not until after breakfast."

Cassie sat down mugs of coffee. Steve turned to her, but before he could open his mouth Danny jumped in. "Don't annoy the rocket scientist either. At least until she's caffeinated."

Cassie hid a smile as she sat in her chair and Steve looked at Danny in exasperation. "That leaves you, partner."

Danny waved a hand as he sat down. "I'm used to it. If you weren't here to annoy me, I'd have to check and see if the sun had risen in the west or something like that."

Cassie and Grace exchanged amused looks at the banter, which went on through breakfast. Danny and Steve cleaned up while Grace went to finish getting ready for school and Cassie went into the other room to grab her computer so she could check in with work.

"They didn't cancel school today?" Steve asked, stacking things in the dishwasher.

Danny shook his head. "They're getting an early dismissal, but decided it was more helpful to have the kids out of the parents' way today while people are still finishing up storm prep."

"Okay, then. We'll get Gracie to school, and then check in with everyone to see who needs to finish getting ready for the storm." He leaned against the counter and dropped his voice like he wasn't sure Cassie should hear him ask, "Did Rachel and Stan make it back into town?"

Danny knew what his partner was doing, but answered in a normal voice as he looked at the clock. "No. They're still trying to change to an earlier flight, but Rachel said she wasn't sure they'd make it before flights in were canceled."

Cassie walked into the room carrying her computer and sat down at the table. "You know I can take Grace to school and pick her up if you need me to."

"Thanks, Cass. I may take you up on that." Danny said, as Steve's phone rang. Steve answered it, and from his expression, Danny knew he wouldn't be taking Grace to school. Steve stepped into the other room so Danny could talk to Cassie. Danny sat down next to her and said, "I'm definitely taking you up on that offer, if you're really okay with driving Grace to school."

"Of course I am. Go; work - we'll be fine. You want me to come by your office after?"

"Yes, please." Cassie nodded, and he leaned over and kissed her, briefly but intently. He held her gaze for a moment longer, wondering if she knew what he was thinking. She touched his face lightly and from the look in her eyes, Danny thought she might feel the same way. He kissed her again, and then Steve was back in the kitchen saying, "HPD has something for us. We need to go."

Danny went to tell Grace, who loudly approved of Cassie taking her to school.

Steve grinned and looked at Cassie. "She likes you."

Cassie replied, "I like her." In spite of the mild words, Steve saw the same expression on Cassie's face that he often saw on Danny's: love and pride mixed with the awe that came with earning the sincere affection of a child.

Danny bustled back into the kitchen. He stopped in front of Cassie, but spoke to Steve. "Give me a minute."

Steve said, "Sure," but didn't move. Danny turned his head to glare and Steve gave him a smirk in return, then pointed to the door. "I'll be in the truck. See you at the office, Wallace."

Cassie smiled and waved one hand. Danny handed her a piece of paper with addresses and directions. "I'll call the school and let them know you're dropping Grace off. If we're not at the office by the time you get there, one of the others will be."

Cassie took the paper and then held out her other hand, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

He gave her an appraising look. "I don't know. As I recall, you don't like my car."

She rolled her eyes. "I like your car. I just like Chin's better."

Danny snorted, but dropped the keys in her hand. He turned his hand over flat and said, "Can I see your phone?" She unlocked it and gave it to him. He quickly programmed a few numbers in. "Call me if you need anything; if for some reason you can't get me, call Steve. If you can't get him, call Chin, Kono, or Lou." He pointed out their numbers. He saw the fond amusement on her face and said, "Yes, I worry."

She wrapped her hand behind his neck and leaned in to kiss him. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Cassie wasn't sure what she should do when they got to the school, but Grace decided for her when they pulled up and she waved out the window at a woman standing at the bottom of the steps watching over and chatting with the students as they entered the building.

"That's Ms. Goodwyn, my math teacher! Come say hi, please?"

So Cassie parked and got out of the car with Grace, who grabbed her hand and pulled her over to her teacher. "Hi, Ms. Goodwyn!" Grace called.

"Grace, good morning!" The teacher, who was probably in her late twenties and dressed in a cute but conservative skirt and blouse, smiled brightly at them.

Grace stopped in front of her and looked at Cassie. "This is my friend Cassie Wallace. She works at NASA."

The teacher held out her hand. "Liz Goodwyn. It's nice to meet you." She shook Cassie's hand. "Grace's dad called and let us know you'd be dropping her off today."

"And maybe picking me up, too? Please?" Grace looked up at Cassie with those big eyes again, and Cassie tried not to smile too much.

"I think we can arrange that." Grace hugged her around the waist. Cassie hugged her back and said, "Go on, kiddo. Study hard, be good, and I'll see you in a few hours."

* * *

Danny and Steve met Lou at the scene. HPD had crime scene tape up around the open end of an alley, and their people were already taking photos and canvassing the business owners nearby.

Duke held up the tape for them; they ducked under as he said, "We got the call early this morning. Thought it was just a regular homicide, until we found her things." He led them to a suitcase which was closed. They all put on gloves, and Steve squatted down to open it up. "It had been tossed inside the dumpster next to her."

Steve carefully folded back the top of the luggage, and they could all see the pile of wigs there. There were other clothes, and the specific variety along with the wigs, led them all to the same conclusion: this was one of their robbers.

Duke then led them to the body, pulling back the cover to show a tall, thin blond woman with shoulder-length straight hair. Danny knelt on one knee by her, then looked up at Steve and sighed.

Steve knew what he was thinking. If this was the robber that lost her wig during the bank robbery, one of their thieves was also a murderer.

They finished looking over the scene, and on the way back to the Palace, Steve put in a call to the crime lab asking them if they'd found any hair on the wig from the bank, and if so, to do a comparison both with their homicide victim and of the wigs themselves. Both men were mostly silent on the way back, the happy morning dimmed by the loss of a life.

Cassie texted Danny that Grace was at school and she was on her way to Five-0, so he waited for her in the parking lot. She parked and he opened her door and held out a hand. She let him pull her out of the car, teasing him with, "You were really worried I couldn't find my way over here?"

Danny shook his head and Cassie realized that something was off. He stuck his hands in his pockets, not really looking at her, and she tilted her head to study him. "What happened?"

"It looks like one of the robbers was murdered this morning. HPD found the body with a suitcase of wigs. We're checking to see if they're a match."

"Danny." She waited until he looked at her. "How can I help?"

He shook his head again. "This isn't your part of the case, Cass. You shouldn't be involved with this."

It was her turn to shake her head. "No, Danny. How can I help _you_? What do you need?"

She held his eyes, and he suddenly moved, sliding his arms around her and pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around him and held on.

Danny was used to seeing the not-pretty side of life. His day-to-day included things that would horrify most people. They horrified him, too, but he was a cop and that was the job. It was the reason they all had nightmares and psych evals and a watchful eye for the things that went bump in the night.

Today, he felt like a failure. He hadn't moved fast enough, hadn't been smart enough, and someone had died. Didn't matter that it had been one of their bad guys. Didn't matter that they'd had no reason to suspect that Greer, if that's who the killer was, had moved from robbery into murder.

And then there was his real life colliding again with the whirlwind dream he held in his arms. She deserved more than the despair he saw and sometimes felt. She should have someone who could give her carefree nights and happy mornings, someone who didn't see the faces of those he'd failed to save when he closed his eyes.

He tensed and started to pull away, but she held on tighter and said low and urgent, "Don't you dare." He was so surprised, he stopped. She continued, "This is not your fault. You didn't make the choices that put her in that position. You did everything you could with the information and resources you had - there wasn't anything else you could have done. Don't you dare blame yourself and don't you dare use that as a reason to push me away."

She sounded so fierce that Danny let go of the guilt and held on to her instead.


	16. Chapter 16

Cassie split her time working from Danny's office, checking in with her own office, and helping the team track down more about the companies in question and their projects. She'd tracked down a few more bits of gossip about Greer, too, which painted a picture of someone who was seriously paranoid and definitely disgruntled.

There hadn't been an identification on the victim's body, so Chin ran facial recognition on the photos from the crime scene and ran her fingerprints as well.

Steve and Danny went by to talk to Max about what he'd learned, while Kono went by the crime lab in the hopes that they had learned something from the wigs.

Back around the smart table, they went over what they had. The wigs in the suitcase were the same brand as the one they'd found at the bank scene, and they'd matched a hair from their victim to a hair on that wig as well. They could confirm that she was one of the robbers, at least at that one scene. That it made it likely, though, that she'd been involved in the other robberies on the island.

Chin pulled up a Florida drivers license for Emma Neal, their victim. Her last known address was Homestead, just outside Miami. Neal had an arrest record, mostly for breaking and entering.

"Why was she killed?" Chin wondered out loud.

Danny gestured with one hand. "It was her wig at the bank. Maybe Greer blamed her for his robbery going sidewise?"

Steve asked, "Have we been able to track Greer's movements at all? He's been here for weeks."

Kono shook her head. "He's a ghost. No car rentals, no hotel rooms."

Lou said, "I did get something from Miami PD." He pointed at the address on the screen. "She lived there, but the apartment was in her boyfriend's name."

"Have we reached out to him?" Steve asked. "Maybe he knows where she was staying out here."

Lou replied, "I'll go you one better. He's originally from Hawaii. Moved back to Oahu about ten months ago."

"Which is right before the string of robberies happened in Miami," Chin said.

Lou nodded. "Don't know if he's involved or not, but we've got his current home and work addresses."

"Great," Steve clapped his hands together. "Let's go talk to him."

* * *

Lee Pearson worked at a local surf shop. Being early afternoon, the team assumed he'd be at work, so Steve, Danny, and Lou went there while Chin and Kono went to his house in case he wasn't working that day.

The guy had no poker face at all, Danny thought as they talked to him. Pearson was standing behind the counter at the back of the shop, and the minute he saw their badges, his face fell.

"What did she do now?" He sounded so despondent that it surprised Danny. Usually there was denial or at least some protest. This guy wasn't surprised to see them, but he also didn't know what had happened yet.

Steve sent a quick silent question Danny's way, and Danny responded with one sharp nod. Steve introduced the three of them and then said, as gently as he could while holding his phone out with a picture of Emma's body on the screen, "Is this Emma?"

Pearson sat there staring in frozen silence at the picture. Steve finally prompted him by saying, "Lee?"

He took a shaky breath and nodded. "That's Emma." He looked at Steve with a pleading expression. "What happened?"

"When was the last time you saw her?" Danny stepped in to be the less-sympathetic cop.

He looked from Steve to Danny. "A few days ago. Sunday night. She was… we had dinner and then she had to go. I… we talked on Monday." He looked back at Steve. "Who did this?"

Steve said, "We were hoping you could tell us."

Pearson shook his hard vehemently. "She wouldn't tell me anything about the job she was on. We didn't talk about her work."

Danny pushed. "But you know what kind of work she did, right?"

He closed his eyes. "Yes."

"And you were okay with that?" Danny asked, sounding incredulous.

His eyes flew open. "No! But she did it for the thrill, mostly. I know that for her latest jobs she didn't take anything. Or at least she returned it. So, it wasn't really stealing. And she didn't want to hurt people, so it wasn't like she was shooting her way into banks and stores."

Steve swiped to another picture on his phone. "Funny you mention banks." He showed Pearson the picture of the blood on the ground where the bank guard had been shot. "This is from her last robbery."

His face paled. "Is that where she... "

Lou spoke up. "No. That's from the guard that she and her partner shot."

Pearson's face got paler. "She wouldn't do that."

"But she did."

Pearson got a stubborn look on his face. "If she didn't die there, what happened?"

Steve turned sympathetic again, "We don't know; we're trying to figure that out. We found her body this morning. We think maybe the man running the robberies killed her, but we don't know how to find him. Is there _anything_ she told you that might help us?"

Pearson deflated, almost literally, before their eyes. He slumped onto a stool and bowed his head. They waited on him, and when he looked up, there was a look of sad determination in his eyes. "I'll tell you what I know."

* * *

Danny and Steve took Pearson back to Five-0 and Danny sat with him in a small conference room to go over details. At one point, Danny stepped out to call Chin and Kono, asking them to check out the place where Pearson said that Emma Neal had been staying when she wasn't with him.

Lou stayed behind to talk with Pearson's boss, just to confirm that there wasn't any way he could have been involved in the robberies. His story checked out, so he joined Chin and Kono, and they continued to check out locations Danny fed them in the hopes of finding someone else who had seen Neal.

A tiny dive bar on the outer edge of downtown Honolulu yielded a result. The bartender remembered Emma and told them she was with two other guys several different times over the last two weeks. Neither fit the description of Greer, so they hoped the guys were the rest of the crew.

They always paid in cash, so there weren't any credit card receipts to follow, but the bartender had asked the younger of the two guys for ID when he ordered the first time they came in. He didn't remember the guy's actual name, but remembered that his name was Hawaiian because he was surprised - he had assumed from the Missouri ID that the guy was a haole. He made some comment on it, and the guy replied that he was trying to decide whether he should move back home or not.

The bar didn't have security cameras, but the convenience store across the street did, so Chin went over to talk to them about getting their tapes, while Kono and Lou called in with the info they had.

Danny called his contact in St. Louis, who sent him a list of people with pictures who fit the same profile as Emma Neal - a few arrests, no serious jail time, on the radar of local law enforcement, but not enough to be a prime suspect in any robberies. Danny and Steve picked out a few that had names that might work, and sent the pictures to Lou and Kono, who ran them past the bartender. He thought he recognized one of them.

The manager of the convenience store wouldn't let Chin take the security tapes without a warrant, but she did allow him to watch them. He got a few specific dates from Lou and Kono, and focused on footage from those days.

He saw Emma Neal walk into the bar, followed a few minutes later by two guys. He wasn't able to get a good look at their faces, but he kept watching and when they exited the bar two hours later, he got a clearer look. He snapped a picture of the video, which wasn't the best quality; there was almost no chance of being able to use facial recognition on his picture, but if Lou and Kono got something, it might be enough to act as confirmation.

The three of them headed back to the Palace to go over what they had with Danny and Steve.

* * *

Back at Five-0, Danny walked Pearson to the door and asked him to call if he thought of anything else. The guy obviously wasn't directly involved, and he'd been as helpful as he could, including mentioning that he'd asked Emma if she wanted to go inland for the storm. She'd said she couldn't, that she'd be busy and that he shouldn't worry about her.

Danny talked him through the process of seeing Emma's body, and called Max to tell him that their vic's boyfriend was on the way over. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do.

He needed a minute with Cassie after that, so he went and found her sitting in his chair behind the desk, her legs tucked up underneath her and her laptop balanced on her knees. He had no idea how she found that comfortable, but she looked like she belonged there.

She looked up as he opened the door and said, "Hey there, Detective."

He leaned against the closed door and said, "If I asked you to run away to run away with me to Bora Bora, would you?"

She closed her laptop and thought about it for a second. "Well, if it's a tropical paradise you're after, I think we can find a shorter flight."

He rolled his eyes, but she wasn't wrong. "If I asked you to run away to Vermont with me, would you?"

Her eyebrows went up and she tried not to smile. "Vermont?"

He lifted one shoulder. "It's not a tropical paradise."

She put the computer on the desk, uncurled herself, and stood. "True. There's lots of snow there." She moved around the desk and walked to him. "Kinda puts damper on the whole tropical thing."

He nodded and she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He pulled her close and she could feel him relax as he held her. "For the record," Cassie said, "I'd run away with you anywhere you wanted to go."

He let her go, reluctantly, and looked at the clock. "How about school pickup?"

She grinned. "You bet."

As they walked out into the bullpen, Chin, Kono, and Lou entered and Danny looked at Cassie. She grasped his arm briefly. "I got this. We'll pick up lunch on our way back, too, okay?"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, babe. I'll call Kamekona with everybody's order; Grace can get you there."

Cassie went to get Grace and then pick up a late lunch for the team. The streets were crowded with people out getting last-minute supplies or getting in last-minute surfing before the waves got too dangerous.

Cassie pulled the Camaro into the clear area next to the brightly colored food truck; she and Grace could several people were scurrying to carry tables and umbrellas away for safekeeping during the storm.

Grace led her up to the truck window and waved at the man behind the window. He smiled widely at her and leaned forward. "Howzit, keiki! You here to pick up lunch?"

Grace nodded and looked at Cassie. "Kamekona, this is Cassie."

He nodded knowingly. "Ah, your dad's Cassie. I thought it might be. Howzit, Cassie."

Cassie smiled up at him. "Hey, Kamekona. You know, next to Grace and Danny, I think you're already one of my favorite people on this island."

He grinned at her. "You liked the restaurant?'

"Loved it. Thank you; it was really special."

"Well, that was the second-best food on Oahu; today you're going to have the best," he boasted, holding up several bags of food. "Danny ordered what he thought you'd like, and I added a few of my favorite things. Let me know what you think."

"I can't wait to try them," Cassie said.

"You all are my last order for the day. Got to get ready for Olaf." Grace looked worried at his mention of the storm; Cassie noticed that she wasn't as comfortable with the water as she'd been the day before at Steve's. Kamekona leaned down and acted like he had a secret to tell her. "Hey, shorty. Are you staying at your dad's during the storm?" Grace nodded. "Then you got nothing to worry about. Little bit of wind, little bit of water, no big deal." That got a small smile from her, so he leaned back. "Okay, ladies," he handed out the food.

Grace took the food and headed for the car as Cassie paid. She asked him once Grace was out of earshot, "Is it really no big deal?"

Kamekona tilted his head. "We don't get many hurricanes, but the island is made to withstand storms. And as long as you're with McGarrett and Williams, they won't let anything happen to you."

Cassie smiled in thanks. "Good to know."

Kamekona smiled back. "Come back after the storm."

She nodded firmly, and walked back to the car. Both she and Grace waved as they drove off.

During the drive, Cassie could tell Grace was still thinking about the storm as she looked out the window at the wild water.

"What's up, kiddo? You worried about the storm?"

Grace swiveled in the seat so she faced Cassie. "Are you scared?"

Cassie gave the question due consideration. "No. I want to make sure we're in a safe place when the storm hits, but your dad and Uncle Steve have that covered and I trust them. To be honest," she said wryly, "I'm pretty sure you and I don't have much of a choice about being safe tonight. I'm not saying they'd arrest us or anything, but..." she trailed off and gave Grace a baleful look.

Grace giggled a little at that. "Danno and Uncle Steve are a little overprotective."

"But we love them anyway, right?"

Grace nodded and sat back, satisfied that if Cassie wasn't scared, she didn't need to be either. Cassie sat back, the enormity of what she'd just said hitting her. She meant it, too; it wasn't just a throwaway line to comfort Grace. She was head over heels in love with Danny Williams.

It wasn't that she was surprised. It had been so easy to take when her Thursday flight had been canceled. And if Danny really suggested running away together somewhere, she would go with him in a heartbeat. She was even thinking seriously about moving to Hawaii, which might be crazy, but everything about that idea felt like it fit.

She took a deep breath. She'd always been told that when you found the right person, you'd just know, and now she knew exactly what that felt like.

* * *

Makoa Kaiwi was the younger man with the Missouri ID. The son of a native Hawaiian father and a haole mother, he'd moved to the mainland when he was 17. His parents had divorced and he lived with his mother in Missouri for a few years, but when Lou called her, she said she hadn't talked to him in over a year. He'd gotten into trouble and she'd finally kicked him out of the house hoping that he'd straighten up.

With that name and the picture on his driver's license, the team was able to determine when he'd arrived on Oahu. They started running the traps to see if they could figure out where he was staying or any place he frequented since they still couldn't find anything on Greer.

They knew they had at least four robbers, including Greer. Well, three now. One was still unidentified, so Chin worked on that one fuzzy image from the security camera to see if he could get anything that might let them identify the other guy that had been with Kaiwi and Emma Neal at the bar.

Danny and Lou called police departments in other cities to see if they could place Kaiwi there. They got a hit from Portland. He'd been a passenger in a car that was pulled over with a broken headlight. Although the cops ran their names, the car was owned by the driver, who didn't have a record. He told them that Kaiwi was the younger brother of a college buddy who needed a second chance and was starting over in Portland.

The cops didn't have any reason to hold them, so let them go with a warning to get the headlight fixed. But they did have a record of the man's name: Eric Wright.

While they were running Wright through the system, Paul Troxell stopped by to talk. Barlow wanted to move the prototype out of the BlueSkies office, but Pukui thought it was better to keep some control over the situation. Troxell thought they should let Five-0 decide, and Danny liked the guy better for his common sense.

Danny and Steve talked over their options with Troxell. They couldn't force the company one way or the other, but Steve thought if they moved the prototype, they might lose their best shot at getting Greer if they couldn't find him first.

Since they were becoming more certain that the attempt would happen during the storm, which meant sometime Wednesday night or Thursday, Five-0 wanted the option of setting a trap. They assured Troxell they were still hoping to find Greer before it came to that, but it was better to preserve that option.

Troxell called Barlow and Pukui, and talked them into leaving the prototype where it was. Barlow wanted to stay with it and be there when the team captured Greer, but Steve nixed that idea quickly.

Barlow argued that he was the only one who knew anything about the prototype and since his company depended on it, he insisted on knowing what was happening. If they couldn't guarantee that, he would move the prototype to a place where he thought it would be safe.

Pukui reluctantly added that they were the only two that knew all the security codes and systems in the building, and while he would gladly give all the information to Five-0, it might be helpful to have them close by in case the team ran into a problem.

Steve gave Danny a look. Danny stared back at him for a long moment, then threw up his hand. "I know, it's a good solution."

Troxell watched the shorthand conversation with some fascination, and then Steve explained his plan. Troxell readily agreed and convinced the other two men it was a good option, and then Troxell let to make the other preparations Steve had asked for.

* * *

The whole team was there when Cassie and Grace walked in with lunch, and they were all in motion. Danny met them just inside the door, greeting Grace with a hug and Cassie with a kiss on the cheek. Steve followed him, also getting a hug from Grace. He took the food from Cassie and gave Danny a look. Danny nodded and asked Grace to go help Steve set up lunch. When they were a few steps away, he looked at Cassie and tilted his head towards his office.

Cassie followed him in; Danny grabbed her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him on the couch. He kept hold of her hand and asked her, "How is it out there?"

She replied, "Wind is starting to pick up. We got rained on some, but it's not bad yet."

Danny nodded. "Can you do one more thing for me?"

"Of course, Danny. What do you need?"

"I'll fill you in on the details later, but long story short, we're all either staying here or at the EOC tonight. We're pretty sure that Greer is going to hit the BlueSkies building during the storm." He sighed. "Actually, I need you to do two things for me. We need you to handle the BlueSkies and AGT guys. They wanted to be on site during the storm. Steve talked them out of that, but only by agreeing that they could listen in on when we go inside."

Just then, Steve rapped on the glass door and opened it. Danny waved him in. "I was just asking her."

Cassie looked up at Steve. "You need me to be the onsite liaison to our tech guys?"

"Yes, please," Steve said seriously.

Cassie looked to Danny, who didn't look particularly happy. He saw her questioning look and waved a hand at Steve. "You know, he almost never says please to me."

The snarky aside actually made her feel better. If Danny could make those kinds of remarks, things were more or less okay.

Steve smirked. "Danny would rather you and Grace sit the storm out in a safe room far, far from the water and wind. Probably in industrial-strength bubble wrap."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Did you not just say you were going to get the SWAT truck to drive Grace to the house?"

Cassie looked at Danny again and he sighed again. "That's the other thing. If you think it's not too bad out there, can you run by the house? Grab anything you might need for a day or two, and then wait for Renee. She and the kids are going to stay there with Grace; Steve thinks my house will be safer since it's mostly concrete block. I'd rather send you out in the SWAT truck, but right now you're probably better off in the car."

Cassie asked Steve, "We'll go over what you need me to do when I get back?"

Steve said, "Yeah. We've got a little time."

She nodded. "Then give me a minute here?" Steve gave her a small smile and walked out the door.

Cassie turned back to Danny. She wanted to tell him what she was thinking about in the car, but she didn't want to distract him. Not that much, not when that kind of declaration would inevitably be tied up with a conversation about their future, and they'd agreed to wait until they could really talk without the pressure of the case and the storm on them. So she repeated her words from the day before. "I'm all yours, you know."

"I know. And I'm glad you're here."

"But?" she gently prompted.

He sighed. "I'm not crazy about sending Grace home without me."

"Would you rather she stay here or at the EOC?"

"No. I want her safe from the storm and from whatever else happens tonight. She's not going to like it, either, but she'll be better off at home." He ran a hand over his head. "This might be the first time I actually wish Rachel and Stan were here so she'd have one of us with her."

She asked quietly, not sure it was her place to offer, "Do you want me to stay with her?"

Danny took her hands. "I would very much like that, actually, and thank you for offering. But we need you here. Troxell has met you, and he convinced Barlow not to be a pain in the ass if you're acting as a liaison between them and us." He let go of her hands, sat back against the couch, and closed his eyes. "I know she's going to be fine. The house is solid. Renee will take care of her." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. He opened his eyes and looked at her, then cocked an eyebrow. "Tell me a stupid space joke?"

Cassie turned so that she was sitting sideways on the couch with her legs crossed under her, preparing. "What kind of song does a planet sing?" He shook his head and waited. She lifted her hands in a ta-da motion and said, "A Nep-tune."

Danny breathed out something between a sigh and a laugh. "You have an infinite supply of those, don't you?"

She wrinkled her nose, tilted her head in a half apologetic shrug, and said, "I have a niece and nephew who are endlessly entertained by them, and I talk to school kids all the time. So, yeah, pretty much."

He rolled his head on the back of the couch so he could look at her. "Budapest." Her eyes narrowed in question. "It's not tropical, it's a city that's _not_ on an island, and no one would ever think to look for us there. How about we run away to Budapest?"


	17. Chapter 17

As the team finished a late lunch, they got information on possible locations for Makoa Kaiwi and Eric Wright. They got a picture of Wright, and found him arriving on the island a few days after Neal and Kaiwi. With that, they were able to track him to a motel in town.

They didn't have an address for Kaiwi yet, but it was possible he was staying with someone he knew and hadn't registered at a hotel.

As the whole team headed to hopefully pick up Wright, Danny noticed that they were definitely being hit by the very outer bands of the storm. Olaf had dropped to a weak Category 2, but it was a big storm. And as Steve had so helpfully reminded him, even if the storm was weak, it was still a hurricane.

Danny told Steve to stop helping.

He got a text from Cassie saying that she and Grace had made it home, and that Renee was on her way over.

When they got to the motel, they stopped by the front desk to ask which room Wright was in. The older man behind the front desk told them, and then squinted at them through thick glasses told them and asked if they wanted a key. He'd seen Wright leave the room, and he'd just as soon they didn't break down the door if he wasn't in there.

Steve took the key and pocketed it while they made their way to the room on the second floor. The motel was a U-shaped, two-story block building with four staircases spread out along the building. The team divided to go up the two closest staircases, Steve and Danny on either side of the door.

Steve made eye contact with Danny to make sure everything was set; when Danny nodded, he knocked loudly on the door and called, "Eric Wright, Five-0. Open the door."

"Just a sec," a voice yelled.

The door didn't open, but they could hear sounds inside the room. "Come on, Eric. Open the door; we need to talk."

Steve waited and then held up three fingers and the key. Staying clear of the door, Danny took a step out so he could be ready to step in and cover Steve when he opened it.

Steve got to one finger and was already moving toward the lock when three loud bangs sounded in succession and pieces of the door splintered outward from the three new holes high in the door. Both Danny and Steve threw themselves back against the wall on either side of the door.

"Guess that means he's not going to open the door," Lou said dryly from his spot behind Kono.

Steve yelled, "Come on, Eric. That the best you do? You didn't even get close with those shots."

Danny threw Steve an incredulous look. "Really? You're taunting the guy shooting at us?"

The voice inside the room yelled, "Wasn't aimin' for you. Just go way an' leave me alone."

Danny and Steve traded a look. "Is he drunk?" Danny asked.

Steve yelled again, "Eric, we just want to talk."

"Go 'way! Not Eric. 'Ric's not here."

Another traded look, this one more confused. "Okay, we need to see that for ourselves. And ask you some questions about where Eric is." Steve was reaching for the lock again, talking so the sound of his voice would cover the sound of the key. Danny nodded once, ready. "Can we do that? Can we ask you a few questions about where Eric is? We just need to talk to you for a minute."

Steve turned the handle and pushed the door open with one hand. They all stayed clear in case the guy fired again. Danny peered around the door frame with his gun up, keeping as much of the door between him and the person inside as he could. Steve dropped to one knee and did the same from the other side.

The guy inside was sitting on the bed with his gun pointed down between his legs. He wasn't even looking up.

Danny said, "Drop the gun." The guy kind of sighed and the gun fell from his hands with a little plonk on the thin carpet.

Steve and Danny scanned the sparsely-furnished room, but didn't see anyone else or any other weapons. Danny moved in, followed by Steve and Chin. Danny cleared the rest of the room, checking in the tiny bathroom, while Chin cuffed the guy on the bed and Steve kicked the gun away far enough to pick it up safely.

Danny came back, pointed at the guy, and said, "He's the only one here."

Steve looked down. "He's definitely not our guy." The picture they had of Eric Wright showed a big, pale-skinned guy with plain brown hair. The guy on the bed had shaggy jet-black hair, and even sitting down was obviously taller and thinner than Wright.

Danny nodded. "So, you could say he's the wrong guy." He held a hand out like he expected a laugh at the pun on their suspect's last name. Chin rolled his eyes and Steve loudly ignored him. "What, Grover's the only one who gets to make quippy one-liners today?"

From his place by the door, Lou said over his shoulder, "It's my turn. We got together and decided that while you were holed up in your office making out with your girlfriend."

Danny held up a finger, but before he could respond, Steve gave him a look. So instead Danny put a hand on the guy's shoulder and said, "Okay then. You are not the person we're looking for, but you're in his room and you just shot at us. So that officially makes you the person we're looking for right now. You want to tell us your name?"

"Robbie," the guy on the bed said quietly.

Danny pursed his lips and nodded. "You got a last name, Robbie?"

He looked up sullenly, but finally said, "Davis."

Steve asked, "Robbie, where's Eric?"

The guy shrugged. "Think he's dead." He looked back down. "Saw him get shot. Ran 'way."

"Who shot Eric?" Danny asked.

"Crazy asshole we're workin' for."

"Are you working for Greer?" Steve asked. Robbie kind of bounced his head up and down once or twice, which they took as a nod.

"So, you're scared of the boss man, but you decided to get yourself plastered and hole up in the room that's under the name of the guy he just killed? That's not very smart," Danny said.

"Why d'ya think I got the gun?"

"Okay," Danny hauled him up by one arm. "What do you say we go talk some place without bullet holes in the door, hmm?"

* * *

With Robbie's story about Greer shooting Wright, they started looking at hospitals, in case Wright had survived, and called Max and HPD, in case he hadn't. Max hadn't seen a body that fit the description and with the storm fast approaching, most of the island was focused on emergency services, including HPD. They hadn't gotten a call about a shooting, but that wasn't surprising.

When Steve and Danny got a location out of Robbie for where the shooting happened, Chin and Lou went to check it out. They found Eric Wright's body a short way away from where Robbie said, tucked back behind some large containers. There wasn't a blood trail because of the rain, but Lou noticed that two of the containers were knocked over.

There were different kinds of gunshot wounds on the body: one that looked like it was from a distance, and two up close. To Chin, it looked like Wright hadn't died immediately, but had tried to find a place to hide. Greer had followed him and finished the kill.

They called it in, and stayed until Max and the crime scene unit got there. Max confirmed their guess, and said he'd call as soon as he knew more.

Danny and Steve focused on getting information from Robbie that could help them locate Greer or Kaiwi. Robbie told them that Kaiwi was their tech guy - he was some kind of whiz kid that could break into any kind of alarm system.

Wright had been in charge of putting Greer's crew together. He had hired Robbie when they got to Oahu because he knew they'd need a local driver for their getaways and to help them plot the best places to leave the returned stolen goods.

Robbie and Wright had met up at an abandoned warehouse a few miles from BlueSkies, where Robbie was going to suggest they hide out during the storm after taking the prototype. They were going over the routes to get in and out of the BlueSkies building when Greer showed up and started yelling at Wright about bringing in people who didn't know how to do their jobs and were going to mess everything up.

Wright tried to talk Greer down, and to Robbie it sounded like maybe Greer had gone off the rails like that before. But when Greer pulled out a gun, Robbie ran. He looked back when he heard a shot, and saw Wright stumble away. After that, he stopped at a friend's house to pick up a gun, and then picked the lock on Wright's motel room door to hide there. Greer had insisted that they all stay in separate locations and that they didn't know each other was, but Wright had given his hotel address to Robbie so that Robbie could pick him up that day. He'd thought it was as good a place to hide as any, and the stash of alcohol he found reinforced that.

He didn't know about Emma Neal being killed, and apparently Wright hadn't either. The shootings couldn't have happened more than a few hours apart, and that made it time critical to find both Greer and Kaiwi.

Robbie didn't know where Greer was staying. He got his instructions from Wright, and hadn't really spent any time with Neal or Kaiwi other than going to and from the museum, jewelry store, and bank.

Kono focused on trying to find Kaiwi, since it looked like that might be the best way to find Greer, plus his life might be in danger. She called the bar they'd been at earlier that morning in the hopes that if Kaiwi knew he was in trouble, he might go back to a familiar place.

The bartender didn't sound surprised to hear from her and told her Kaiwi had walked in about fifteen minutes ago. Kono didn't bother asking why the bartender hadn't called Five-0, only asked him to keep Kaiwi there, glossing over the fact that Kawi was a suspect and instead noting that they needed him for information to help them find a killer on the loose.

She sent a quick text to Steve telling him and Danny to come back upstairs; she had a location on Kaiwi. They turned Robbie over to HPD for holding, and ran back up to the bullpen. Kono called Chin and told him where they were headed.

Cassie walked in as the three of them were walking out, and gave them a quick update on driving conditions outside. The storm was getting worse, but it was still mostly rain. The wind hadn't picked up dramatically yet, and it looked like most people were still out hurrying to get things done before the storm started in earnest.

They raced to the bar, pulling up just after Chin and Lou. Chin and Lou went around back, in case Kaiwi tried to run, and Steve, Danny, and Kono went in the front. She sought out the bartender as their eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she saw him nod toward a booth against the far wall.

They made their way over to the booth, Kono slid in across from Kaiwi and Steve sat down next to him, pinning him in. Danny stood angled behind Steve, scanning the mostly empty room.

"Makoa Kaiwi?" Steve asked as he sat down, noting that he was little more than a kid.

The kid nodded and asked with bravado, "Who wants to know?"

"Five-0," Kono replied, laying her badge on the table.

Steve said, "We know you've been working for Eli Greer. We have Robbie Davis in custody."

Kaiwi kept the bravado, even though recognition flashed across his face at the names. "No idea who you're talking about."

Steve nodded. "Well, do you know Emma Neal and Eric Wright? We do, because we found their bodies today."

Kaiwi looked at him sharply, not quite believing what Steve was saying. "Emma and Eric are dead?"

Kono said, "And we think you might be next."

"Crazy haole," Kaiwi muttered.

"Do you know where he is?" Steve asked.

Kaiwi shook his head and said, "I don't know anything, brah."

Steve nodded once and started to slid out of the booth. "Okay. Thanks for your time."

Kono added as she also stood, "Give Greer our regards when he finds you."

Kaiwi looked up, panicked. "Wait, you can't just let him find me."

Steve shrugged. "You don't know anything. I'm sure you're fine." He looked at Kono and Danny. "Let's go."

"No, wait. I meant… I might know something. I can tell you about the places we hit before."

Kono gave him a cold look. "We know all about those, brah."

He slumped in the booth. "I can tell you what I know about the next hit."

Steve turned and looked mildly interested. "What do you know?"

"Where it is and how we were planning on getting in."

Kaiwi was right; he didn't know much more than what the team already knew. He was able to confirm that Greer was planning to hit the BlueSkies building for the prototype during the storm. Kaiwi said he had walked Greer through both the main alarm for the building and the system guarding the prototype. The plan was to wait until the power went out, and enter the building in the gap while the generator was kicking on to power the main system.

He hadn't questioned why the boss wanted to know everything. Greer was extremely paranoid, to the point of not participating in any of the robberies in the other cities. He'd directed them, but hadn't been there in case they were caught. He asked them questions after each hit about how they'd done everything, like he was trying to learn how to do it himself.

Greer had kept himself apart from the rest of them once they got to Hawaii, only showing up for each of the three robberies on the island. He'd wanted to test what he'd learned, and it was his screw up at the bank, not Emma's, that caused that job to go wrong.

One reason Kaiwi showed him how to bypass the alarm systems was that he wanted out of the job. Greer was crazy, and after the bank job, Kaiwi was worried that they were all going to get caught or worse during the real robbery. He was still planning to meet Emma and Eric that afternoon, though, and when they hadn't shown up at the planned location, he got worried. He'd gone to the bar in case they were there.

* * *

Danny and Kono dropped Kaiwi off at HPD and headed back to the Palace, where the whole team talked through a game plan.

They debated whether or not Greer would go through with it, but killing off the rest of the crew sounded like it might have been his plan all along and the storm was still his best cover.

The team's mission had changed from preventing a theft to bringing a murderer to justice. They decided it was worth risking the storm to go after him because the only location where they were certain to find Greer was the BlueSkies building, and they couldn't give him an opportunity to disappear again.

Steve asked Lou and Kono to start pulling together a plan and supplies to set up in the BlueSkies building, taking into consideration that they might set a trap or that Greer might make it there before they did.

He asked Chin to talk to SWAT about getting support for the operations, and asked Danny to make two phone calls, one to the governor to brief him on the latest and the second to Jack Kahele to ask him if they could base out of the EOC that night.

Danny waited until the others had headed off in various directions. "And what are you going to do, oh fearless leader?" Danny asked, leaning a hip against the smart table.

Steve pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going to go brief Cassie about what she needs to do with the Barlow and Pukui."

Danny said, "You know, I could do that and you could call the governor."

Steve shook his head. "Nah, you'll just end up making out with your girlfriend in your office." He smirked a little in Danny's direction.

Danny scoffed. "Are you telling me you never made out with Catherine in your office?"

Steve shook his head. "It's important that we're all business here, right?" He shrugged a little. "It's a good desk, though."

Danny held up a hand. "I did not need to know that."

Steve smirked some more and walked towards Danny's office, saying, "You brought it up, partner."

He heard Danny mutter something, so he was still smirking when he walked into Danny's office.

Cassie looked up from behind Danny's desk and assessed the situation. "What did you do now?"

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Me?"

Cassie shook her head, but smiled. "What do you need me to do?"

Steve perched on the edge of Danny's desk and said, "Handle Barlow and Pukui. Keep them calm, keep them focused."

Cassie nodded. "And keep them from causing trouble?"

"Exactly. We'll get all the codes to the building, and we'll work with the security guy Barlow hired for the site. We shouldn't need anything from them during the op. Barlow insisted on listening in, so you'll be able to hear our comms, but not talk to us." Noticing she looked uncomfortable at that statement, he asked, "You're not worried about Barlow and Pukui, are you?"

She waved a hand. "No, handling industry CEOs is just another day at the office for me. I am a little concerned at listening in on the comms loop."

Steve shrugged. "You've worked mission ops before, right? Just last week, as I recall."

"Sure. I also did a really short rotation in Mission Control deploying small satellites from the ISS."

"Good, so you know what to expect from our comms."

Her eyes got wide. "I know what to expect when the mission is throwing tiny satellites out of the space station, Steve! Which is basically: hey, guys, hit the button now. Great, good job!" She gestured emphatically. "I don't know anything about law enforcement ops! If something happens…"

Steve got it then, even as he noted with some amusement that she sounded a little like Danny. "First of all, nothing bad is going to happen. We think Greer will be by himself, so we've got a five to one advantage. Plus, backup from SWAT. Second, I think there's a good chance we're going to lose comms anyway, with the storm."

"Oh, yes, that makes me feel better," she said dryly.

He could see she was still worried, so he said, "I promise, I'm not going to let anything happen to Danny."

She gave him a wry smile, knowing he meant it. "Try to not let anything happen to the rest of you either, okay? I've grown kind of fond of all of you."

 


	18. Chapter 18

Steve and Cassie met Pukui, Barlow, and Troxell at the entrance to the EOC. Troxell introduced Cassie to his colleagues, and Steve reinforced that the only way they would be allowed to stay at the EOC and listen in while Five-0 went after Greer was that they stay with her.

Barlow asked, "How will we be able to talk with you?"

"You can't. You'll be able to listen in, but we're not putting you on a two-way system," Steve replied.

Barlow shook his head and said, "We need to be able to talk to you."

Pukui added, "What if you need something from us?"

"You've given us everything we need in advance, and we'll have your security guy with us." He pointed to where Karl Wilson, who Barlow had hired specifically to manage security for the prototype and demonstration, was talking with Kono and Chin. "If there's anything you think we might need to know, you need to tell us now." He stared intensely at Barlow for a moment, until the other man finally shook his head and looked away.

Cassie stepped in. "There's a good chance that the storm will cause the comms system to go down at some point. Commander McGarrett has briefed me on the operation, so if it does, I can answer your questions."

Barlow looked back at Steve. "Not acceptable. If we can't hear you, I'm going with you."

Steve frowned. "Not going to happen."

"McGarrett, you can't stop me from going into his building." He pointed to Pukui.

Steve gave him a flat smile. "Actually, I can. But it's your choice whether I do it by letting you sit here with Ms. Wallace and listen in, or if I put you in cuffs and set an HPD officer to watch over you."

Barlow wanted to protest, but instead he muttered something and stalked off to talk to his security guy.

"Great, we're all in agreement then," Steve said. "Mr. Pukui, can we go over the building layout with you one more time?" Pukui nodded and Steve directed him to where Danny and Lou were going over a floor plan of the building.

Cassie studied Troxell, who looked tired and a little lost. "Paul, is everything okay?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, sorry. It's just been a bad week." Cassie gave him a sympathetic look. "It's not just the prototype. Well, mostly." He grimaced. "Guess I'm just wishing I'd followed my mother's advice and become an ER doctor or a criminal lawyer - you know, something less stressful."

Cassie chuckled. "Who knew coming to Hawaii could be so eventful?"

Troxell kind of rolled his eyes. "I know, right? But it's not just this." He waved a hand at Barlow and Pukui and the EOC. "I thought this was going to be my dream job, but instead I'm trying to help save a company that probably shouldn't be saved."

Cassie's eyes widened and Troxell sighed. "Yeah, things are bad. But we'll get through this; the demonstration is going to be good, and then the partnership agreement. It'll all work out. And then I will be delighted to go home and be a boring CFO for a while. " He kind of shook it off, then gave her a knowing look. "Seems I'm not the only one who thought Hawaii would be less eventful." He nodded toward Danny.

Cassie started to protest and then remembered Danny's assertion that there was a cabal bringing them together. She half shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting that."

Paul laughed. "It was so obvious at lunch, the two of you. But when it hits you, it hits you hard. No point in trying to ignore it." Cassie looked at him in question, sensing he had his own story. "My wife and I met the summer between high and college when we were both working as counselors at this camp in Texas. She was the queen of all outdoor activities and I was the computer geek who couldn't find my way back to my cabin without a GPS." He sighed. "I wanted to bring her with me on this trip, but we decided once the partnership goes through, we'll have other less stressful opportunities to combine a work trip with vacation for us and the kids. Kind of glad now that she's not here, even though I really wish she were here."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she said.

The team was starting to put on their tactical gear and while they watched them, Paul gave Cassie another look. "I can't imagine what it's like to know that he's constantly putting himself on the line out there."

"It's who he is and I wouldn't have it any other way." She paused, then added with a sigh, "Though I'm not crazy about them going out in an actual hurricane."

Paul nodded and said, "I'm grateful they're willing to do it."

Danny put on his vest and saw Cassie watching him. He left the rest of the team suiting up and grabbed her hand, leading her off to the side, nodding at Paul in passing. "We're going to be fine, you know," he said, reaching out to brush her hair back behind her ear.

She smiled and shook her head. "Danny, you're going out into a hurricane to chase down a bad guy with guns. You telling me I shouldn't worry?"

"You shouldn't, because we're the best there is," he said with that confidence Cassie appreciated. "Yes, the storm is not how I would have chosen for this to play out, but we've got a solid plan and we're doing this the safest way we can."

Cassie studied him, a look Danny couldn't quite decipher on her face. He faced her and put his hands on her shoulders. "What is it, babe?"

She wrinkled her nose and looked a little embarrassed. "I think it's probably because I know it could save your life, but is it a terrible thing if I find the tac vest, um, appealing?"

Danny really, really wanted to laugh. Instead, he gave her a teasing look. "Steve could save my life, too. Do you find him, um, appealing?"

Cassie poked his vest. "You're not wearing Steve, smartass."

Danny grabbed her hand and held it flat against his vest. "You want me to wear the vest next time I bring you coffee?"

The look she gave him made him want to carry her off to somewhere private. "I told you, whatever protective gear you feel you need."

"It's a date, babe."

"Okay, then." Cassie patted his vest and leaned in to kiss him hard and fast. "Good hunting."

Steve walked up. "Time to go, partner." Danny nodded, touched Cassie's arm one more time, and moved away.

Cassie watched him and then looked at Steve. "Keep him safe, please."

Steve nodded seriously. "I promise."

Across the room, Chin handed Danny more weapons and a helmet. As Danny finished gearing up occasionally looking to where Cassie was sitting at one of the stations, the two CEOs next to her, Chin said quietly, "She'll be okay here."

"I know." Danny waved a hand. "I'm not worried about her."

Chin smiled. "Well, worrying about us going out into a hurricane is probably smart."

"And yet, we're doing it anyway."

This was familiar Danny territory for Chin, but he understood there was an extra weight to their actions now. Chin reached out and clasped Danny's arm to get his attention. "You know, your expression changes when you think about her."

Danny snorted. "Yeah, I'm a big sap, I know."

Chin shook his head. "No. Well, yeah, that, too, but it's more that you look centered. Like you're at peace with the world." He stepped back. "It's a good look on you, brother."

Danny shook his head once, but smiled a little. "Let's go."

At the door, he turned and looked back. Cassie watched him, and she gave him a smile and a nod.

* * *

They were all tense with the storm raging outside the truck and the unknown unknowns of what they were walking into at the site. Every few seconds something would hit the side of the truck, and even from inside the heavy walls of the vehicle, the wind sounded like it was alive. Danny made a mental note to thank the driver in person, maybe send a note to his supervisor; they had nerves of steel to navigate this beast.

Steve looked around at his team, and decided he needed to do something to break the tension. It wasn't exactly the Camaro, but it would have to do. He stared at his partner with a little smirk until Danny looked at him.

"What, Steven?"

"Have you asked her to stay yet?"

Danny looked at him like he was nuts. "How is this an appropriate topic of conversation right now?"

"What else do we have to talk about?"

Danny's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I don't know. Tactics. Strategy." A loud thump sounded as something hit the side of the truck. "The fact that we're all just as likely to be killed by palm trees as by bullets in the next thirty minutes."

Steve said, "In that case, I hope you don't have any regrets. Like not asking Cassie to stay."

Danny threw up his hands. "I told you we talked about it."

"And?"

Danny looked around the truck. Steve was the one talking, but the others were definitely paying attention. "Really?" he asked them.

"Hey," Kono said, laughing, "You called me, remember?"

"Please tell me we're not broadcasting this conversation," Danny thumped his helmet against the side of the truck.

Steve rested his hands on the butt of his gun. "I told you she was a keeper."

Danny threw up a hand. "You ran a background check on her!"

Steve half shrugged. "Grace likes her."

Danny threw up his other hand. "Yes, Grace likes her. _I_ like her."

"So…"

The truck stopped, much to Danny's relief. "Oh, look. We're here. I guess we'll just have to postpone the rest of this unnecessary conversation."

They all got up and got ready, double checking equipment and the radios they would use inside the building which had a smaller range, but wouldn't be affected if their radio patch back to the EOC went out.

Lou, standing right behind Danny, said, "You know, you're a lot less cranky when she's around."

Danny sighed. "I'm actually looking forward to the hail of bullets that I'm sure is coming our way any second now."

* * *

The team and Barlow's security guy moved out of the back of the SWAT truck, Steve taking point while Danny and Lou flanked him a couple of steps behind, weapons pointed forward and out. China and Kono followed, both of them sweeping their weapons out and behind them, covering the areas to their sides and back.

The truck got them as close to the building as possible, but the wind was still insanely strong. Danny really hoped they didn't have to fire guns outside, because he wasn't sure the bullets would land anywhere close to where they were aimed. It was hard enough to walk in a straight line.

Kono consulted Barlow's security guy and worked some tech magic on the tablet. There was a soft click from the door and Steve pulled it open. "We're going in," he said.

Danny covered Steve as he slipped inside, then followed, gun pointing down as he crossed past his partner and to the other side of the entry hallway, raising his gun again.

The others made their way inside, Chin last, still keeping an eye out behind them. He waved to the SWAT truck to let them know they were in, and the truck rolled out of sight.

Steve watched the team, while Danny covered their way forward. "We're all in," Chin said when the door shut.

They moved out and down the hallway to set their trap, and then somewhere outside there was a loud crack, snap, and the power went out.

* * *

The SWAT driver kept up a running commentary on what he was seeing as the truck drove through Honolulu, primarily to help the EOC get a picture of what was going on. Trees were down in several places, and the truck had to divert once to an alternate route. Power was already out in some parts of town, and this wasn't the worst of the storm yet.

Cassie knew that when the team arrived at BlueSkies, Steve would patch their internal radios into the main comms link that SWAT had been using.

Barlow muttered, "About time," when they heard the team go live.

Cassie bit her tongue. She cautioned, "We may not hear much. They don't know Greer's not already inside, so they'll be quiet until they confirm that."

Barlow nodded sharply and Troxell gave her an apologetic look. They heard Kono and Wilson open the door, and Steve give the signal for the SWAT truck to move. They heard his directive to the team to move in, and when Chin confirmed they were all inside.

Suddenly, the feed cut out. Barlow's head snapped up to look at Cassie. "What happened?"

Cassie shook her head. "We lost their feed." Even though she really wasn't sure about listening in, she didn't like that they'd lost comms so soon.

"Well, get it back," he snapped.

She raised a hand, palm out. "Give it a second. With the storm, we knew it was a possibility we'd lose communications."

"Unacceptable. We were told we could listen in."

Cassie met Troxell's eyes. He tried to calm Barlow by saying, "Dave, give it a second. They didn't cut us off by choice."

Barlow stood and started pacing. "How do we know that? We should have taken the prototype out of the building. If they were really competent, we wouldn't have to be here right now. They should have caught the bastard first." His voice was getting louder and several of the EOC staff looked over to see what was going on. Jack, who was at one of the stations where he could see the little group, raised his eyebrows at Cassie. She shook her head and held up one finger.

Cassie made her voice as reasonable as possible. "Five-0 did everything they could, including tracking down two of Greer's crew."

"Sure, everything except catch the nutcase who is stealing from my company right now!"

"No one wants to get Greer more, I promise you." Cassie was starting to get annoyed, though she didn't outwardly show it.

"Really? I think I'd like to get him more. I should have been with them."

"So Greer could shoot you, too?" Cassie asked mildly. Barlow looked at her, confused. "Five-0 isn't after a thief; they're after a murderer."

Barlow dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. "The dead thieves aren't the priority here."

Pukui and Troxell looked taken aback by the callousness of that reaction. Cassie gave Barlow a flat look. "The dead people. Right now, there are families grieving over the loss of a loved one, whatever they did in life."

"That technology is critical to the nation's air system. It's important to all the people that work for me. If these cops," he spat the word with venom, "can't focus on the main goal, they should get out of the way." He stalked off a short distance, pulling out his phone.

Cassie narrowed her eyes and looked at Troxell. "What's he doing?" she asked. She was definitely getting a bad feeling.

Troxell looked worried, too, and he moved to where he could hear the other man. He turned back to Cassie and said, "I think he's calling our security guy."

Cassie stood and got Jack's attention. He came over and said, "The eye is passing over us right now. We've got maybe 30 minutes before the backside of the storm hits. It looks like we've lost a couple of radio towers, including in that area. I don't think we're going to get comms back with Five-0."

Cassie nodded. "What about cell service?"

Jack lifted one shoulder. "It's spotty, but it's not out completely."

Cassie grabbed her phone and started texting Steve. If Barlow could get through, maybe she could, too. At the same time she said, "Can you get through to the SWAT driver on his cell? And if you can, can he still talk to the team?"

Jack snapped his fingers at one of his guys, who moved over to them quickly. "Call Lee. Tell him to get a message to McGarrett…" he looked at Cassie.

"Barlow contacted his security guy just now. He may have something planned."

"Got it," the guy moved off to send the message. Cassie hit send on her message as well, hoping one of them would get through, then walked to confront Barlow.

He looked a little smug as he faced her and that just pissed her off. "What did you do?" she asked him.

"I'm making sure my technology is the priority."

Cassie got in his face, and Barlow stepped back. "Let me ask that again: what did you do?" She held his gaze, then spoke in a low voice. He had to lean in to hear her. "Those people are putting their lives at risk to save your technology. If you put them more at risk…"

Barlow waved a hand, dismissing that, too. Cassie took another step forward. There was something here that wasn't right. Barlow was really upset, but his reaction didn't fit the situation. "Dave, why is this technology so important?" she asked.

Barlow looked down at her. "It's critical to the nation's air system."

"No, it's not." Cassie shook her head. "It's a test system. Sure, if it works, you're on your way, but that's years off. Why is it so important right _now_?" She cocked her head, thinking of what Paul had said. "Dave," she drew his name out a bit, "just how bad off is your company?"

Barlow blustered something about none of her business, so she turned to Troxell. "Paul, how bad are things, really?"

He sighed and she had her answer. Putting that together with the pieces of what her industry association friend had told her and what Linda had mentioned about the partnership between AGT and BlueSkies, she looked at Pukui. "Have you signed the partnership agreement yet?" Cassie asked him.

Barlow yelled, "Hey! Don't answer that," to Pukui. Jack stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary, but looking at the CEO with a dawning suspicion.

"No. We were planning on an official signing ceremony the day of the demonstration," Pukui said.

Cassie tilted her head. "More media, more attention. And if the demonstration didn't happen, there's still the partnership to talk about. Is there a contingency plan if the prototype doesn't work?"

Pukui nodded. "Our backup plan is to do a software demonstration if we can't fly the hardware because of weather."

"And all the paperwork is signed so if something were to happen to the hardware, you're still committed," Cassie said and Pukui nodded. She looked at Troxell. "Have you seen the prototype?" He nodded slowly, so she asked one more question. "Have you seen it work?"

Barlow sat heavily in a chair and slumped down. Troxell's look changed to one of comprehension and anger. He looked at the AGT CEO. "I quit," he spat the words at Barlow. "Let me find some paper and I'll write you a resignation letter."

Cassie faced Barlow. "Does Greer know?" He shook his head. "Are you _sure_?" she asked, biting off each word.

Barlow looked up, pale, and said, "There's no way. Nobody knew but me."

Pukui still looked confused while Cassie asked Jack, "Did we get through to the team?"

Jack replied, "We got the SWAT driver. He was trying to get through to McGarrett on their radio."

Cassie checked her phone. The text had been sent, but she didn't know if Steve had seen it. "We need to get him another message," she said as she sent another text, hoping that it would go through and they weren't in the thick of it yet so that Steve could change tactics. She showed Jack her phone with a text that simply read: _Prototype doesn't work. BSkies agreement, not hardware, to save AGT. Only Barlow; Greer doesn't know._

He nodded sharply and went to try and and get the message out another way. Pukui had stepped up beside Jack and was reading past his shoulder. He whirled to face the other CEO.

"It doesn't work?" He yelled. Barlow slumped even more. Pukui went for him, and Troxell jumped out of the way. Jack yelled at one his guys, who ran over to pull the two men apart.

When they were separated, Cassie got in his face again. "They didn't have to go out in this."

"You said it yourself, they're after a murderer," Barlow muttered. "It's not my fault; they would have gone after him anyway."

She nodded. "Yes, but they wouldn't have had to chase him down in the middle of a hurricane. If they get hurt…"

He cut her off. "You'll do what? I didn't do anything wrong."

She smiled coldly. "Technically, you're right. Fortunately, I won't have to call my senior-level contacts throughout the aviation industry and blacklist your ass from ever doing business again. Your company is done, you are done, and," She tilted her head toward Pukui and Troxell. "I think your former colleagues are about to get to know some fantastic lawyers."

Pukui looked like he wanted to hit Barlow again, so Jack had an HPD officer who was on site take Barlow off to the side of the main room and stay with him.

Troxell asked the EOC director, "Have we heard anything from the team?"

Jack shook his head. "The driver couldn't get to the building because Greer showed up. He tried to get close enough after Greer was inside to see if he could pass the message down the line." He hesitated. "He had just gotten Kelly's attention when they heard a gunshot."

* * *

Steve stared down at his phone with the second text from Cassie on the screen. After her first message, he'd neutralized Barlow's security guy. He now sat zip tied in a corner, while they waited for Greer to make his way to the room with the prototype.

The power in the whole building had gone off shortly after Karl Wilson, Barlow's security guy, got them inside. Their external comms had gone down, too, though they still had their radios that worked within a smaller range. The generator powered some emergency lights and the security system, so they were relying on flashlights, a memorized floorplan, and Wilson.

After entering, they'd cleared the building to make sure Greer wasn't there already, and then arranged themselves in and around the room where the prototype was secured. The building itself was set up in an open floor plan, with big shared workspaces instead of offices. Fortunately, there was only one way into the room.

Chin was covering Greer's entrance, which was also their exit. Kono and Lou were set up with views of the doorway to the room, where they could flank Greer once he was inside. Danny and Steve were both inside the room behind other containers and large computer towers.

The long and narrow room itself was divided into two sections with an opening in the middle almost the size of the wall. The first section had a locked and alarmed door at one end, and the second section, where Danny and Steve were, had an alcove at the far end with a large, black container that held the prototype. There were motion sensors around the alcove and two cameras, and the container was locked with both a digital lock and a more ordinary steel lock on a chain.

The codes Pukui had given them allowed to see when the main doors to the building opened again. The alarm system was switched off for thirty seconds, then turned back on. If they hadn't been watching for it, they might have missed it.

They waited quietly for minute or two; Greer was nothing if not patient and he was taking his time moving to the secure room.

The sudden absence of the storm's furious sound surprised them all. Steve spoke quietly into his mic. "Eye."

Danny and Steve shared a silent conversation, even though they could barely see each other, the red glow from the emergency lights their only illumination. Danny's eyebrows went up as if to say, this is part of his plan? Steve shrugged with a, could be.

His phone had buzzed then and he surprised to see the text from Cassie. He caught Danny's attention, and pointed to the security guy, who was closest to the alcove. He was moving, not according to their plan.

Danny whispered loudly, "Hey, what are you doing?" Wilson turned toward Danny, and Steve ducked in on his blind side. Steve tapped his shoulder and when he whirled around, Steve decked him fast and hard, figuring it was safer to do that so they could get him out of the way and get back under cover.

Steve tossed Danny some zip ties and went to get the duct tape out of his pack tucked out of sight against the wall. Danny checked to make sure Wilson was breathing okay, and then they dumped him, tape over his mouth, in a corner out of sight.

Just as they got back into position, Steve's phone vibrated again. He stared at the screen, wondering what the hell was going on back at the EOC. Danny tapped once on the container he was peering around to get Steve's attention, so Steve held up the phone and then tossed it to him.

Danny caught it, read the message, and his head jerked up. Steve nodded. It changed things. They still needed to get Greer, but in some ways, it made things easier because they didn't need to protect the hardware.

Danny tossed the phone back and gave Steve a grim look. They were so going to have strong words with Barlow when this was over. Steve actually smirked back. Yeah, they were going to have some words with the man - if Cassie left him in one piece.

They heard movement in the hall, and both snapped their attention to the room's far entrance. They heard the door click as the alarm shut off and the door was unlocked. It slowly opened and they could barely see someone dressed in dark colors move through the door. Both men lifted their guns and pointed them in that direction.

Because it didn't matter if he was there to steal the prototype, Steve tried to defuse the situation while Greer was still in the room's first section instead of waiting for him to walk past them and start working on the alarms around the container. "Eli Greer, Five-0. We've got you surrounded."

There was the sound of something large being dropped on the floor.

Steve called, "Come on, Greer! You might as well give yourself up."

"Sorry, who are you?" The person in the room asked, trying to sound confused. "I'm the night security guard. The power went out, so I'm checking on things."

"There's only one security person for the building, and he's with us right now." Steve glanced over at the still-unconscious guy in the corner.

"Mr. Pukui just hired me."

"Then let's see some ID. Slowly, toss it over here." Steve edged out from behind his cover, knowing Danny had him if Greer tried anything. The man didn't move, so Steve let Danny divide Greer's attention.

Danny's voice from the other side of the room surprised Greer, the man whipping his head around to stare in his direction. "Hey, Greer. We know you're here for the prototype. Guess what? It's a fake. It doesn't work, apparently never did."

That did it. The man shook his head vehemently. "No, Barlow's been working on it for a year. It has to work. Pukui wouldn't go into business with him if the prototype didn't work."

Danny said, "Pukui didn't know, which, yeah, means his business sense isn't the best."

"No, you're trying to trick me."

Steve jumped back in to keep Greer's attention in two places. "We've got no reason to lie to you. We've got someone with Barlow right now. Barlow confirmed the prototype doesn't work. He was counting on the new agreement with BlueSkies to save AGT."

Danny added, "You stealing the prototype plays right into his hands. He'd be happy to have you take it and not have to take the blame for it not working."

Greer knelt in the middle of the room, his hands stuck in a large bag. Steve edged around some more, and Danny tried to keep Greer talking. "Greer, where's the rest of your crew? Surely you're not here by yourself."

Sounding stunned, Greer said, "I'm smarter than they were. Didn't need them."

"So, where are they?" Steve asked. "We're going to need to talk with them, too."

Greer looked up and Steve froze in place. "You know already, don't you," Greer stated.

"We found Emma Neal and Eric Wright. Did you kill them?"

Greer pulled a gun out of the bag and Danny said urgently, "Steve."

Steve held one hand out. "Put the gun down, Eli. There's no need for anyone else to get hurt."

Greer shook his head. "There's really nothing in there?" he asked plaintively. He looked up at the end of the room.

"There's nothing there," Steve repeated, trying to sound reassuring.

"Guess that's all there is then." He moved the gun, and Danny shifted out from behind the container, prepared to fire his weapon. Before he could, though, the gun in Greer's hand went off. One shot and Greer's body slumped to the floor.

Danny kept his weapon trained on Greer while Steve moved to check him. He kicked the gun over toward Danny, and knelt down beside Greer. He didn't really need to, seeing the damage to the body, but he did it anyway to be certain. "Damn it," he whispered.

Danny dropped the barrel of his gun, and moved to stand over Steve, trying to look past the scene at his feet. He checked in with the rest of the team. "You guys see any other movement out there?"

Chin's voice said, "No one else came in with him, and I haven't seen any other movement."

Lou said from the hallway, "Clear this direction," and was echoed by "Clear here," from Kono.

Steve stood and looked at Danny, who said, "Let's pack it up and go home. The ME can come out after the storm is over."

The team mood as they packed up and moved out was a mix of grim and gratified. They'd done their job and done it well. The only casualty was the bad guy, and any day you walked out of a situation unscathed was a good day. They'd prefer to have seen Greer brought to justice alive, though, and Steve and Danny especially wondered if there was something different they could have done.

It was clear and still when they walked outside, and they took a second to marvel at being in the eye of a hurricane. Steve hustled them back inside the SWAT truck quickly, though, knowing it wouldn't be long until the worst hit.

When it did, the wind felt like it was going to blow the truck over. They swerved frequently, Danny assumed to avoid debris in the road. He hoped it was only debris in the road.

Steve actually murmured, mostly to himself, "I wonder if we should put our helmets back on."

Danny's eyebrows climbed. "Oh great, we're all going to die."

"I didn't say that."

"No, but when invincible SuperSEAL expresses any notion that any of us might be the least bit vulnerable, it generally means the shit has hit the fan. Ergo, we're all going to die."

They all waited for Steve's comeback. This was situation normal: Danny ranted, Steve snarked in return. That was the way they all knew the world was right side up.

Steve didn't say anything.

Grover bowed his head. "Great, we're all going to die."

Danny lifted a hand, vindicated, and said, "Thank you."

Chin spoke up. "We're not going to die." As he said that, the truck stopped. The driver banged on the panel separating them and yelled, "Hang on." The truck backed up, turned, rolled over something big, and then started moving forward again.

Danny made a mental note that if they made it back to the EOC alive he wasn't going to just thank the driver, he was going to buy him six or seven beers. Possibly name future children after him.

He nudged Steve. "You're just upset that our SWAT guy is a better driver than you."

Steve snorted. "I wouldn't have had to back up."

Danny tilted his head. "No, you would have hung out the window, shot a hole in it, and gone through whatever it was at speed."

"Probably." Steve smirked, Danny rolled his eyes, and everybody relaxed a tiny bit.

Kono asked, "What happened back there anyway?"

"I got two texts from Cassie, one warning us about him, the other about the prototype." Steve looked at Wilson, still zip tied but with the tape off his mouth. He'd come to after they were back in the truck, and Steve wasn't taking any chances. He asked Wilson, "You had orders from Barlow?"

Wilson nodded. "He told me to make it look like Greer got to the prototype, whatever else happened. I wasn't supposed to interfere with you, just make sure the alarm went off and the container was broken into. If the hardware got messed up, even better."

Steve said, "That way, even if we got Greer before he got to the hardware, Barlow could claim the prototype was damaged and none of it would look like his fault."

"I was supposed to wait to see what happened, but Barlow sent a text after the comms and power went out," Wilson said.

Danny shook his head. "Just a suggestion: Find a new line of work." He turned to Steve. "What do we do with Barlow?"

"His property, his employee. We were after Greer for the murders anyway. I'm not sure the situation would have ended any differently." Steve grimaced. "I don't know that there's anything we can do."

"Call Linda and let her know the state shouldn't do business with AGT," Chin said.

"Oh, at the very least," Danny agreed.

Kono grinned. "Bet it's already taken care of."

Steve answered with a slightly feral grin of his own, imagining what was happening at the EOC. That grin turned to a smirk as he looked at his partner. "Hey, Danno?"

"Yes, Steven?"

"You should really ask her to stay."

* * *

After profusely thanking their SWAT driver for getting them back safely, the team started dropping equipment just inside the EOC entrance. Danny tossed his helmet to Steve and made a beeline for the main room.

He looked for Cassie and found her talking with Paul Troxell and Kai Pukui. He crossed the room and stopped by them, looking around for Barlow, finally seeing him by himself against the far wall. "Seems like you all had some excitement here, too."

Cassie gave him a small, reserved smile. Danny hadn't expected her to run and jump in his arms or anything, but he was a little puzzled by what seemed like a cool greeting. Troxell and Pukui both shook his hand and thanked him for Five-0's efforts, even though none of them had known the prototype wasn't working.

Cassie stood quietly as Troxell said, "I want to apologize for the fact that you went out into this storm for no good reason. We didn't hear anything after you got inside the building. If I can ask, what happened to Greer?"

Danny didn't want to go into too much detail, but he supposed they needed to know at least some of what happened. "He, ah, shot himself after we told him the prototype was fake." Troxell paled and looked at his former CEO, then back at Danny, who added, "McGarrett would like to ask you both a few questions, just to make sure we've got everything clear."

The two men nodded and Danny pointed them in Steve's direction. When they were gone, Cassie said in a low voice, "You're all okay?"

Still confused, Danny said, "Yeah. Greer didn't even try to shoot at us. Got a little tossed around by the storm, but we've had worse." She wouldn't look at him yet, and that worried him. Danny pointed to the nearby hallway and said, "Can we?" Cassie nodded and turned, head down, walking in front of him. When they got a few steps in, out of the view of the main room, he put a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her and asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, still looking down, then Danny suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight hug. His arms went around her and he realized she was trembling. "Hey. It's okay. I'm okay."

"I know." She let out a shaky breath. "I do know. Best there is. But we lost contact with you, which, yeah, I knew was going to happen. Reports coming in from the storm were bad, and then we lost comms with the truck, and that was during the worst part of the storm, but not before he told us he'd heard a gunshot."

"Hang on a sec," and he pushed her back far enough to get his vest off, letting it fall to the floor as he pulled her close again. He stroked her hair with one hand and murmured reassuring words.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't mean to fall apart on you."

"Hey, no, it's okay. Now that we're back, I kind of feel the need to have a bit of a breakdown, too." He was hoping she'd laugh and maybe relax a little, but instead she held him tighter.

"I'm sorry about Greer," she said.

Danny sighed. "Yeah, me, too." He held her for another minute, trying to replace the image in his head of Greer's body on the floor with a better one of the woman in his arms. He turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to Cassie's jaw just below her ear. "I know we're not entirely past this current crisis, but can we talk for a minute?"

Cassie pulled back with a worried look on her face, but nodded. He led her into a small, empty office, and she perched on top of a desk while Danny leaned one hip against it, close enough to touch her but far enough away to give her some space.

He started off trying to explain just how much it had meant to him that she had his - the whole team's - back. "Knowing you were here waiting was nice. But you backing us up like that, that means the world to me. Have to admit, it's definitely a turn on. Not," he held up a hand, "that there is anything about you that isn't a turn on." Cassie couldn't help but smile at that. Danny tilted his head and waved dismissively. "Okay, yeah, eventually I'm sure I'll find out something about you that isn't completely adorable, and I'm sure you've already figured out a few things about me that annoy you. If you haven't, you will."

"Thought about this some, have you?" she asked.

Danny acknowledged the point with a small shrug. "Constantly, for the last week at least. I've been going in circles trying to figure out how to ask you to stay without sounding like a selfish jerk for asking you to give up your entire life and move here. Especially when I know what it's like to do that."

"And if I decide I want to move here?"

Danny huffed a laugh. "I'd fly back with you and help you pack."

Cassie took a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot about us, too. About how to make it work." She paused, and Danny could see the worry in her eyes. "Are we crazy to even be thinking this after not even two weeks of knowing each other?"

"Yes," he said decisively. "But, just so you know, crazy is in the water here. Have you met my partner? My team? Did you see what we did tonight? Crazy is our standard operating procedure. And apparently, I am not as immune to crazy as I thought I was."

"So what's my excuse?"

Danny ran a hand over his hair and squinted at her like what he was about to say might get him hit. "You obviously belong here with us." Cassie laughed, surprised, and he added, "Everyone, they keep asking me when I'm going to ask you to stay. And I want that, more than anything, but like I said, I'm struggling with the fact that I'm asking you to do something that I can't offer to do in return. Grace is here, so this is my home now."

"It's not just your home because of Grace, Danny. This is your home because it's your family, too."

He breathed out. "Yeah, it is." He closed his eyes for a second. "I don't even know what to do with that."

"You don't want to leave anymore."

Danny laughed, with just a hint of a bitter edge. "No, I want to leave, but I don't want to leave this behind either." He sighed. "It's a really weird feeling, and I haven't processed it all yet. But I do know that I want you to be part of that family, and that having you here would make this place home even more."

He paused and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I want you to be sure about moving here. I don't doubt this," one hand came out of its pocket and waved a connection between them, "but I know what it's like to pick up and move halfway around the world, away from everything you're familiar with. I don't want you to do that unless you are absolutely sure. I want you to know this can be home for you before you move here for me."

Cassie drew her knees up under her chin, wrapped her arms around her legs, and balanced her feet on the edge of the desk. With anyone else, Danny would have assumed it was protective body language, curling up like that, but he knew Cassie, and this was her way of pulling back enough so she could compartmentalize the emotional side of their conversation. He loved her all the more for taking what he said so seriously.

She said, "For the record, I don't doubt us either. I think… I think I would be happy if I just _stayed_. Now."

And how Danny wanted to touch her in response, but he was the one insisting on them being practical, so he kept his hands to himself.

Cassie turned her head so that she faced him, cheek resting on one knee. "But as much I want to do that, I have a life that I can't just abandon." She could tell from his expression that he understood, completely. He would back her play, whatever she decided. That calm certainty, that trust in her - in them - erased any doubts she had. She was sure she wanted to come back to stay, but accepted his need for her to be certain beyond any shadow of a doubt. She lifted her head. "Okay, how do we do this? Do we set a time limit, or plan visits back and forth?"

He nodded. "Visits would be good; I like that idea. A time limit… maybe? Say we do this long-distance for six months and then decide if you want to move here."

She shook her head. "Too long. Three months."

Danny wanted to disagree. "This is your whole life, babe."

"And this is the lightening round. We're not talking about if we're doing this, right? We're talking about how?"

Danny thought seriously for a moment and then nodded. "I kind of hate the long-distance thing, and I don't think it works for very long." He paced back and forth a few steps while talking, arms crossed, but one hand moving. "And I feel terrible because the heavy lifting on this decision is on you, because you would be the one moving. For the last week, all I've done is think about how hard it would be to do the long distance thing, how we could make it work, how you might move out here, how much I love you and how crazy it is to have fallen in love with you after not even a week, how we were going to deal with your job and my job and Grace… But I don't think I ever questioned if I wanted to be with you, because I've known that pretty much since that first night on the beach."

She was staring at him, wide-eyed, and he rewound his last words in his head. "Oh. Um, yeah." He rubbed his hand over his eyes, then noticed she was smiling. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

No, she was laughing silently. "I just wanted to make sure you heard yourself. You were on a roll there."

"Smartass." He perched next to her on the desk, arms touching. "Yeah, I love you." He shrugged, unapologetic, and turned his head to hold her gaze.

Cassie looked back at him for a long moment, more serious. "I love you, too." She shook her head. "I actually said something in the car today… Grace and I were talking about you being overprotective and I said, but we loved you anyway." She put her hand on his arm, needing to touch him. "I meant it. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, because it feels like I've loved you forever."

Danny gave her a teasing look. "It was watching me do that whole standing/breathing thing at the conference, wasn't it?"

As he hoped, that got a grin in return. "Yeah, that was totally it."

He covered her hand with his. "So, five months?"

She rolled her eyes. "Four. And only because I do need to be a responsible adult and deal with job and apartment stuff."

Danny didn't want to give in. He said, "Four months isn't a long time, love. Are you su…" And then remembered that woman in his arms kissing him like her life depended on it was way smarter than he was and he should just shut up and agree. Steve would be proud of him.


	19. Chapter 19

They stayed at the EOC until the storm was almost gone. There wasn't anything they could do with the case until the storm was over, not that there was much left to do but paperwork and clearing up a few loose ends. Danny thought they'd never really know what set Greer down his path or why he felt like he had to kill people to accomplish his goal.

As Jack had said, this kind of thing was all hands on deck, so Cassie and the team helped out in whatever direction the EOC director pointed them. Steve actually went out on a few calls with HPD because, Danny snarked, he hadn't enough adrenaline for the night. Jack had one person monitoring social media for calls for help or damage reports; he asked Cassie and Kono to pitch in there. Danny and Chin took calls from HPD, which were mostly damage reports and notes on where road repair or tree removal would need to happen once the storm had passed.

Even Troxell and Pukui helped. They answered phones, made coffee, brought food around. Cassie could see that they appreciated the work being done at the EOC and really wanted to help, but that they were also trying to distract themselves from the mess they were going to have to deal with when the storm was over.

Sometime after it started to get light outside, Danny brought coffee over to where Cassie was curled up on one of the couches in the breakroom. He grinned at her blissful expression when she took a sip; he had a feeling that bringing her coffee was going to be always going to be one of his favorite things. She shifted her legs to curl in the other direction as he sat down so she could lean against him.

"Did you talk to Grace?" Cell service was still spotty across the island, but Danny had been able to get through a couple of times.

"Yeah. The house is fine. Sounds like there's a tree down in the yard, but it didn't hit anything. She's better than fine. I think she's been spending too much time with Steve, because she asked if she could go outside for a few minutes."

Cassie nodded against his shoulder. "Well, the storm is almost over. I kind of want to go outside, too."

Danny huffed a laugh. "How about we just go home instead?" She nodded again, then yawned. Danny nudged her. "Definitely home. Come on, NASA. Let's go catch a few hours of sleep."

* * *

Grace was asleep when they got home. Danny quietly kissed the top of her head so he wouldn't wake her up and stood there watching his baby girl sleep peacefully for a few minutes. He thanked Renee for watching out for her, and made sure Lou didn't want him to come over while they checked their house.

"We're good," Lou said. "One of the neighbors called and said the road is passable, though everyone's without power."

"Yeah, I think that's going to be story for most everyone the next few days." Danny crossed his arms. "We're all probably going to end up eating Steve's supply of MREs and powdered eggs."

"I thought you liked powdered eggs," Steve said, coming in from the front yard where he was checking out the downed tree.

"Ah, better than I like MREs, yes." He waved a hand in the direction of the yard. "How does it look?"

"Not too bad. I'll bring the chainsaw over later and we'll take care of it."

"Much later, please. Sleep, then chainsaws," Danny said.

After everyone left and more texts were exchanged with everyone checking in from home, Danny collapsed on the couch and pulled Cassie down with him.

She pushed at him weakly. "Go to bed. You need sleep."

"No, I need you." He wrapped his arms around her and she settled, curled up against him. "Comfortable?" She nodded, and he stroked her hair until she fell asleep. He was out not too long after that.

* * *

Danny woke up quickly when he heard a noise in the kitchen. He shifted Cassie gently so he could stand up; she grumbled softly, and he put a pillow under her head, kissed her, and said, "Go back to sleep, love."

He walked into the kitchen where his daughter was getting a glass out of the cabinet. "Sorry, Danno. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm glad you did." He held out his arms and gestured. "Hug, please." She humored him with a smile and a big hug. He held her probably a little too tightly, but they'd just spent a hurricane apart, so he wasn't going to apologize for that.

Grace kissed his cheek. "Love you, Danno."

"Love you, too, Monkey." He let her go and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Sounds like you did okay during the storm."

She nodded enthusiastically. "It was cool. We kept hearing things hit the house and heard windows break across the street." Danny made a mental note to run over and check on the neighbors later. "And the tree cracked really loudly when it came down. Is Uncle Steve going to come over and cut it up later?"

Danny gave her a slightly offended look. "What, you think I can't handle a tree? One that's just lying there?"

Grace shrugged. "I think we don't own a chain saw. And that Uncle Steve probably better help you with it."

He waved a hand. "Yes, your Uncle Steve will be coming by later to deal with the tree."

"Is Cassie still asleep?"

Danny smiled. "Yeah. We both were up the entire night, so I bet she sleeps a while longer." Something else must have passed across his face because Grace stared at him, then grinned.

"Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

"Ah, yeah. I guess I did."

"So, she's moving here?"

Danny nodded slowly. "We're going to give it a few months." Grace looked confused, so he tried to explain. "You know I want Cassie to move here, right?" Grace nodded. "I don't want her to move here just for me. I want her to feel like this is her home, too, not just a place she's moving to because she met a guy."

"But you're not just any guy."

Danny shook his head and smiled. "No, I am not. But that makes it all the more important to me that she decide to move here on her own."

Grace thought about it, then nodded. "You want her to have a choice. Because we didn't."

Danny was continually surprised by how much his daughter had picked up on certain things over the years. "Yeah."

And for the second time that day, he found himself surprised by arms flung around him in a tight hug.

Danny and Grace sat and talked quietly, and after an hour, Danny decided to wake Cassie up. He knew the all-nighter was going to throw them off, and the longer they napped, the harder it would be to get back to sleep that night.

He started making coffee, which was a whole different process with the power being off. He mentally thanked Steve for insisting he get a camp stove. He set the water to boil and got down the French press. Danny grinned to himself when a tousled-haired engineer appeared in the doorway about the time the coffee was done, even though there wasn't a machine beep to wake her. He looked up and said, "Nice bed head, babe."

She glared at him, but before she could say anything, Grace threw her arms around Cassie's waist. Cassie automatically returned the hug. "Hey, kiddo." She looked at Danny, a little puzzled, and he gestured between the two of them and mouthed "our talk." Cassie kissed the top of Grace's head and said, "Love you, too." Grace squeezed her a little harder then let go.

She chattered as she walked back to the table. "Uncle Steve called. He's going to grill tonight, since all the power is out. Danno asked him if he was going to catch fish to grill, but Uncle Steve says he knows a guy. We're going to cut up the tree here, and then he said we should all go over there since he has a generator, too."

Danny poured Cassie a cup of coffee and handed it to her. "SuperSEAL has gone into disaster response mode. He's going to bring a chainsaw by, and I want to go check on some of the neighbors, too." Cassie nodded and turned to go get ready, but Danny pointed to her coffee. "First, caffeine. Then we'll go."

"That's a better plan," Cassie yawned and then took a big drink of coffee. "Much better plan."

* * *

While they were dealing with the tree, Steve got a phone call. In spite of the number of concerns he was dealing with in the aftermath of the storm, Governor Denning asked Five-0 for a brief update on the case that afternoon. Steve asked Cassie to come with him to provide a summary of what happened with Barlow.

"Of course," she replied. "Let me go clean up and change clothes."

Steve waved dismissively. "You're fine."

She looked down at the now grubby jeans and tank top. "No, really. It won't take me ten minutes."

"Come on, Wallace. This is Hawaii and we've just gone through a major hurricane. The governor will probably be in jeans, too."

"I'm a senior government official being asked to brief a governor. I'm not showing up looking like this." Cassie gave him a look, while Danny just stood by and watched in barely-concealed glee. "When are we meeting with Denning?"

"In an hour."

Cassie tossed him her work gloves. "Great. I'll be back in ten minutes." She started walking quickly back into the house.

Steve called after her, "Danny's probably got a tie you can wear!" He was pretty sure the wave he got in return was of the one-finger variety. Danny was almost doubled over in laughter, and Steve glared at him. "Yeah, you two are perfect for each other," he grumbled.

When Cassie came back outside twelve minutes later, dressed in dark jeans and a light blue sleeveless top and carrying a black blazer, Steve tapped his watch. Cassie rolled her eyes. "Gracie had a question," she said and then wanted to laugh at how quickly Uncle Steve acquiesced to that explanation.

* * *

Denning had asked Linda Hale to sit in as well, and she waited with them outside the governor's office. Cassie and Linda had a quiet conversation about Barlow and Pukui, and from what Steve gathered, agreed that nothing official could be done to Barlow, but they each had industry contacts with whom an off the record word could be had concerning Barlow.

Linda also shared another interesting piece of news. "I got a call from Pukui this morning. Obviously, BlueSkies has canceled the demonstration. But he's also planning to create a Chief Operating Officer position, someone to run the day to day operations of the company since he's recognized he doesn't have the knowledge to do that yet."

Cassie nodded. "That's an excellent idea."

"He's offered the job to Paul Troxell."

"Oh, perfect. Is Paul going to take it?"

"He's thinking about it. Of course, he has to talk to his wife, since it would mean them moving here."

Cassie nodded again, more thoughtfully this time, and Linda wondered if she was thinking of doing the same thing.

Their meeting with the governor was brief. Steve went over what they'd learned and what had happened during the storm. Cassie summed up things from an industry perspective, and Linda shared what they'd determined. Denning nodded along with each of them, and then thanked them all. He specifically thanked Cassie for stepping up to offer her expertise, and then slyly mentioned that he hoped she'd come back to Hawaii again soon.

On their way out, Linda asked for a minute of Cassie's time. Steve went to get the truck, and Linda asked, "When are you flying back to DC?"

Cassie sighed. "I actually don't know yet; haven't had a chance to rebook my flight. I doubt it will be before the end of the weekend, though."

Linda nodded. "Why don't you and Danny come have breakfast with me and Tom Saturday morning? I'd love to talk with you some more about a few potential projects I have ideas about, but also show you that we like to have fun in Hawaii, too." Cassie laughed and Linda added, hand up to forestall protests, "No pressure, I promise, for either of you."

Cassie promised to talk to Danny and then call Linda to confirm. Back in the truck, she sat quietly, thinking.

Steve had a thought that this was familiar territory, so he followed standard operating procedure and verbally poked his passenger. "You know, Linda's a great contact to have if you're thinking of looking for a job here on Oahu."

Cassie shook herself out of her thoughts. She turned toward him, wrinkling her nose and giving him a rather worried look. "You think I should be looking for a job here?"

Her reaction concerned Steve. He was sure Cassie and Danny had talked last night, and from the blissful look on his partner's face, he assumed it was a good talk. But now, as Cassie stared at him, looking worried, or really, looking like she wanted… to grin. Steve rolled his eyes. "Yes, Wallace. I think you should look for a job out here."

Cassie settled back against the seat. "What's it like living here, Steve?"

Steve recognized that her question was serious and thoughtful; she wasn't looking for platitudes or words of encouragement. He mulled over his answer for a minute. "It's not like living anywhere else. I know every place has its own personality - its quirks and culture and way of doing things - but Hawaii's is… especially distinct. All the stuff people here talk about - the spirit of aloha, ohana, island time - it's not just words. But living here can also feel isolating. We're on an island, and not a particularly large one at that. There's no such thing as a road trip. Getting away from it all means flying somewhere." He looked over at her, just as serious as she was. "I'll be honest. It's not for everyone. But it's also an amazing place with wonderful people. And if you can make the effort to be a real part of life here, you will be welcomed with open arms."

* * *

Rachel and Stan were able to get a flight back that landed early Friday morning; they came to pick Grace up on their way home. Grace hugged Cassie hard before she left and promised that she would be back on Sunday so that she could be there when Cassie left, both for Cassie and for her dad.

Steve had told everyone to take their time getting into the office Friday. By the time they got there, the power was on at the Palace, so while the team tied up loose ends on the case, Cassie worked on her laptop in Danny's office. One of her tasks was to get a flight back to DC, and every time Danny checked on her, she was procrastinating on doing it.

Finally, he sat down next to her and took her laptop. He looked over the flight options open on the screen and pointed to one. "I don't particularly want you to leave either, babe, but our four months don't start until you do."

She glared at him. "Who decided that?"

"Executive decision," Danny said calmly and impassively.

They had a staring contest until Cassie gave a frustrated huff and took the computer back from him. "Fine." She got that flight and closed the computer with a click.

Danny watched her, trying not to smile. She shook her head and sighed, and Danny gave into the smile. "You know, Grover keeps teasing me about us making out in here. What do you say we give him something to talk about?"

* * *

Friday night, Danny and Cassie went back to Quinn's for dinner. Danny had called to check on Maggie and John; the restaurant was fine, and though they lost several trees in their yard, their house was okay, too. Power was back on downtown, including at the restaurant, so Danny promised he and Cassie would come in.

Maggie greeted them both with hugs and no menus. "We're keeping it pretty simple for a couple of days. So, you'll get what I bring you."

Danny shook his head and smiled. "You do that anyway, whenever I'm here."

"Glad I can continue to provide the high level of service you've come to expect, Danny." She winked at Cassie and hustled off to seat another family.

Danny clasped his hands together on the table in front of him and leaned forward. "So, four months."

"Four months," Cassie repeated. "Can I talk you into coming to DC during that time?"

"I think the better question is how long do you want me there for?" Danny asked. He held up a hand. "Don't say four months. I'd be tempted to say yes, and we both know I can't do that."

She smiled. "What about between Thanksgiving and Christmas?"

Danny nodded. "What about over Thanksgiving?"

Cassie's eyebrows went up. "I'd love that. But what about Grace? You should spend the holiday with her."

He reached across the table to take one of her hands. "Thank you for thinking of that. Normally, I would, but Rachel asked me a month ago if Grace could spend Thanksgiving with her. She and Stan are planning on visiting Stan's parents for a big family event. I haven't really taken any time off this year, so a break would be good."

"You up for meeting my family then?"

"I'd be disappointed if I didn't get to. And if you want, we can spend a day or two in Jersey."

"Mmmm, get all the family meetings out of the way at once? I like it."

Danny laughed. "It does seem like a fair trade."

"You know this means we're going to have to do two Thanksgivings, right?" Cassie asked.

"Does that mean I get to watch double the football?" Danny asked, enjoying making her laugh.

They traded stories of holiday family get togethers and Danny realized that he was looking forward to meeting Cassie's family. He was also looking forward to introducing her to his Jersey family. Normally, he hated spending holidays away from Grace, even if he couldn't spend the entire holiday with her. But this Thanksgiving promised to be interesting and fun, even if it meant being far away from his kid.

* * *

The next morning, they met Linda at her condo in downtown Honolulu. Linda greeted them both with hugs, and introduced them to her husband, Tom, who practiced family law at one of the large firms on the island.

Danny had assumed that she wanted to talk to Cassie about potential projects, but Linda was just as interested in pitching an idea about more cooperation between Five-0 and the council she headed, in the hopes of helping develop new technology that could help law enforcement and public safety across the state. He liked the idea and told her thought Steve would agree.

That afternoon Danny took Cassie for another drive, out to the scenic overlook that was special to him. They sat out there and talked, and Danny told her about Matt. About what he'd done to try and get Matt back, and what he'd done to Reyes. Her only response was a fierce hug and tears for the man she loved and the brother she never got to meet.

Neither of them wanted to do anything big for dinner. Even though the power at the house had come on that morning, on their way back into town they stopped by Kamekona's food truck so they wouldn't have to shop or cook.

They sat talked about little stuff like what they'd do when he got to DC and plans for Thanksgiving. It was quiet and normal and perfect.

Danny had planned on taking her for a walk on the beach after dinner, but when he got back to the table after clearing it off, she was sitting facing out from the table like she was ready to go. He sat next to her, leaning back with his elbows on the table.

"You have plans tonight?" she asked him.

"I was going to suggest a walk by the water, but I'm fine with whatever you want to do." Danny was glad he was sitting down because her answering smile made him a little weak in the knees.

"I was going to suggest that you take me home," Cassie said.

At that invitation, Danny gave in to an impulse he'd had for about two weeks now. He scooped her up as he stood, and carried her to the car in his arms. Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing. "Really?" she said when they got to the Camaro.

Danny shrugged, carefully setting her down. "I might have been wanting to do that for a while now."

Cassie laughed again and kissed him. He pressed her against the car, then pulled back before he lost the tiny bit of control he had left. He opened the door and waved her in. "You in a hurry?" she teased.

He quickly walked around to the driver's side and got in, then leaned over to kiss her again. "Since I'm having some very R rated thoughts in a PG location, definitely."

* * *

For the second Sunday in a row, Danny woke up without an alarm or the phone ringing. Best of all, he woke up to a gorgeous woman in his bed, and she was once again reading intently. He watched her for a few minutes, a small smile on his face. He wanted this, so much.

He rolled over and propped his head on his hand. She looked over and smiled, a little guiltily. He reached out and brushed her hair back and said, "I love that you read in bed. I love it even more that you're here when I wake up."

"I think I could get pretty used to being here when you wake up."

"I'm delighted to hear that." He sat up a little. "You want coffee? Never mind, I already know the answer to that." He pushed back the covers.

Cassie grinned at him. "I love you." She started to get out of bed and Danny put a hand on her hip.

"Stay and read. I did promise to bring you coffee in bed, right?" Danny gave her a look that promised more than coffee and her quick intake of breath in response sent a bolt of heat through him. "Quickly. I will make coffee very, very quickly."

Cassie's laughter followed him out of the room. Danny realized that once again, he had a stupid, sappy smile plastered on his face, and he thought he could get used to that, too.

The rest of the day was quietly perfect. Danny spent some time online buying his plane ticket to DC for Thanksgiving, and Cassie kissed him senseless when she saw how long he planned to stay.

Grace came back over and they took a trip to the beach. Danny sat on the sand and watched his girls play in the water. They unexpectedly ran into Kono and Adam, which resulted in Cassie's first surf lesson.

Like with Danny, Kono didn't let her out in the water on a board, but she promised that as soon as Cassie got back, they'd continue lessons.

As Kono and Adam were leaving, Danny stopped her. "Thank you."

"Sure, brah. No big deal."

"No, Kono…" Danny wanted her to understand. "You're the person I'd want to teach Cassie how to be out there," he said looking out at the ocean. "She's not like me. She loves being on the water, but she's not used to this crazy ocean. If she's going to live here, there's no one I trust more to show her how to be part of this way of life."

Kono knew that Danny trusted her to have his back, knew he trusted her with his life. They were ohana, but this was more than that. This was Danny asking for help, not because of her work skills, but because he knew and trusted who she was outside of work. Kono realized with a rush that he hadn't called her to talk Cassie out of walking by herself because Kono was another girl, but because she knew the island. Danny trusted more than the cop part of her, he trusted _her_.

Kono threw one arm around him in a quick, hard hug. "I'm looking forward to her living here." She stepped back. "Maybe we'll get you back out on a board, too."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah, maybe." But he smiled as she and Adam left.

* * *

Steve had everyone over to his house for dinner that night. Danny had insisted that he could host, but Steve didn't want him to worry about the prep and clean up.

At one point, Steve and Cassie ended up on the beach, a little away from everyone.

"Hard to believe it's only been a week since dinner at Grover's," he said, coming to stand beside her.

She nodded. "Hard to believe it's only been two weeks since Danny and I met. It feels like we've lived half a lifetime."

Steve said, "Fast, but not impulsive, right?"

She smiled. "Right." They stood there in silence looking at the waves, until Cassie finally said, "I am coming back."

Steve gave her a bit of a smirk. "I know." More seriously, he said, "You know why Danny wants to give you time to think, right?"

"He's trying to give me the choice he feels like he didn't have, I know. He's a good man."

Steve nodded once. "He is. And you're good for him. So think fast. For all our sakes." He grinned to let her know he was mostly kidding. "Who knows, maybe we can convince you to move out here and start a career in law enforcement."

She laughed and said firmly, "No. I love that I was able to help. Watching you all work is amazing, and working with you was interesting. And I will admit that working with Danny was… something I didn't expect."

"Something good?"

"Yeah, something very good. I didn't need that to fall in love with him, but I think I understand him better now. Maybe at a level I wouldn't have otherwise. But," her tone changed from introspective to certainty, "to quote some eternal movie wisdom here," she held up her arms in a locked dance position, "this is my dance space," she circled a hand to illustrate, "and this is his dance space."

"I don't know, Wallace. Your dance spaces looked pretty close the other night."

Danny walked up beside them. "You realize he has no idea what movie that's from, right?"

Steve raised his eyebrows. "And you do?"

"I have sisters, Steven, as well as a working knowledge of pop culture from the last few decades." Danny automatically reached for Cassie's hand, twining his fingers with hers.

"I'm not sure I'd call that culture, Danno."

Cassie shook her head while the man she loved and his best friend bickered amiably. This felt familiar, like home, and she couldn't wait to come back to it.

* * *

The evening was wrapping up and Cassie had disappeared. Danny knew she would want to say bye to everyone, so he went looking for her. He found her in Steve's kitchen, leaning against the counter, arms wrapped around herself, head down. He heard sniffles and it about broke his heart. "Hey, love, why are you hiding in here?" he asked softly.

Cassie looked up quickly and swiped her hands over her eyes. She was trying not to cry, he could tell, and he leaned one hip on the counter next to her and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Danny didn't quite know what to do, so he held her for a moment. When she lifted her head again, he brushed away tears with his thumb. "Hey. Don't be sad, hmm? Please? Cause if you're sad, I'm going to be sad, and I don't think Steve can handle both of us being sad, you know?"

She laughed through her tears and Danny gathered her to him again. He actually was sad, but they had to make it through to the next day, so he held it together for her.

The goodbyes were easier than Cassie thought they would be. Chin reminded her that she still needed to take the Mustang out for a spin, and when Kono hugged her, she told Cassie to call her when she was ready to start apartment hunting in the city.

Steve refused to say goodbye because he was taking them all to the airport. He got a rise out of Danny by asking if they were taking the truck or the Camaro, then waving off the question saying he was driving either way, so he'd decide tomorrow. Cassie and Grace laughed all the way to the car and Danny good-naturedly put up with it.

Grace went to sleep as soon as they got home, while Cassie and Danny both ended up on the couch all night because they stayed up talking long after she had gone to bed. Cassie fell asleep curled up against Danny, head on his chest, wrapped in his arms. He watched her sleep and wondered how he was going to make it through the next month.

He must have dozed off in the middle of the night, because he woke to faint light coming through the windows. Cassie stirred and opened her eyes. He brushed his fingers through her hair and she smiled and burrowed into him.

Danny didn't want to move just yet, so he held her and thought about the last two weeks. He said quietly, "You know, I find it kind of appropriate that when we first met, our conversation ended with me telling you to go get some sleep, and now I get to wake up with you."

"You know I would have gone back there, right? If you hadn't been at the conference?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know. I would have, too, just to see you again."

Cassie pushed herself back, sitting up a little so she could see his eyes. She put one hand on his face and he leaned into it. "Just for the record, I knew when I left Sidestreet that night that you were someone I'd like. I knew by the end of the conference that I trusted you and by the end of our walk on the beach that I really, really wanted you to kiss me. And by our second date, I knew that I wanted you in my life."

Danny turned his head to kiss her palm, then he took her hand. He teased her, saying, "I knew that drive and picnic was a good idea."

She tried not to smile. "That wasn't our second date."

"Oh, so you're saying it was the pizza and beer that did it for you?" He nodded knowingly. "That's my girl." Cassie gave into a laugh. Danny studied her and said more seriously, "For the record, I couldn't stop thinking about you from the moment we met. Before the conference was even done, I knew I'd be making a mistake if I let you just walk out of my life."

They both heard Grace's bedroom door open and the bathroom door close. Danny shook his head, then kissed Cassie as thoroughly as possible in the short time they had left alone. He rested his forehead against hers. "Four weeks, babe. Hold that thought, okay?"

* * *

The rest of the day went by too quickly. Cassie finally went to pack about an hour before they had to leave, and wouldn't let Danny help her, but when she didn't reappear, he walked back to his bedroom.

Cassie sat cross legged on the edge of the bed looking down at her suitcase. Danny leaned against the doorway and said, "Need some help?"

She shook her head, but didn't say anything and didn't look up. Danny walked over to the bed and ran his hand down her arm. "Hey, you okay?"

She nodded, but still didn't look up. He sat down next to her and leaned on one arm. "Cass?" He asked, low and worried. She didn't raise her head, but turned it slightly to look up at him. The tears in her eyes made Danny move to envelop her in a hug.

She clung to him. "I didn't want you to see me cry," she said, her voice rough.

"Why not, babe?"

She laughed a little, and pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Because I can't change the fact that I'm leaving really soon, and I don't want that time to be sad. I can cry when I get back to DC."

Danny cocked his head. "Well, that makes me feel better."

She pushed against him with her shoulder. "You know what I mean."

He moved so he could cradle her face in his hands and wiped the remaining tears off with his thumbs. "Do you want me to fly back with you?"

"Yes." She shook her head. "But you're going to be there in four weeks. I'm a big girl, I can handle some time apart from my boyfriend."

Danny thought for a second, then had an idea. He grabbed her suitcase and hauled it up on the bed. Seeing that he was going to open it, she scooted back. He unzipped it and flipped the lip open. "Is there anything in here you can live without?"

She wrinkled her forehead and said, "Yeah, sure."

Danny pursed his lips and waved at the suitcase. "Why don't you leave it here then?" When she gave him another questioning look, he said, "Would it make you feel better knowing that something of yours is still here, waiting for you to come back?" She nodded slowly. He said, "Leave whatever you like, love. Then it will be waiting for you when you come back at Christmas."

"Christmas?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I know we haven't talked about it yet, but I thought you might like to see Hawaii at Christmas."

Cassie could tell he was nervous about asking. "Yes." She put all the certainty she felt in her voice. "Christmas in Hawaii sounds wonderful."

She pulled a few things out of the suitcase and stacked them on the bed. While she closed the suitcase, Danny took her things and put them away in one of the dresser drawers. When he turned back to the bed, she was kneeling there waiting for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, then held on to him like she wasn't ever going to let go.

* * *

She had to get on the plane. They all knew that, and knew it sucked, and there wasn't anything to do but put the best face on it they could.

Grace was a trooper, keeping both her adults on schedule and more or less together. And when Steve picked them up, they managed to make it to the airport without too much drama.

Outside security, Cassie stopped to say goodbye to Grace. Danny tapped Steve on the arm, motioning with his head to give them some space.

"You are coming back, right?" Grace asked.

Cassie held out her arms and Grace stepped into her hug. "For Christmas. I promise."

Grace shook her head. "For good."

Cassie said, "You want to know something?" Grace nodded. "I can't wait to come back for good." Grace's arms tightened. "And until then, I am a phone call away. Any time."

Then Steve and Cassie hugged, and Steve said low in her ear, "You do know he's going to be impossible for the next four months, right?"

Cassie said, "You could always send him to DC for part of that time."

"I'll see what I can do." Steve let go, and more seriously, said, "I'll keep him in one piece for you."

After one more hug with Grace, Cassie walked through security. Danny flashed his badge so he could walk with her to the gate. She lingered as other passengers boarded the plane, until almost everyone was on.

She turned to Danny and said, "I'll call you from LA and when I get to DC." She nervously smoothed down his shirt front just to touch him and he took her hands, stilling them.

"Hey, NASA. What do planets like to read?"

She grinned slowly, realizing that he was using her own tactic to get her to calm down. "I don't know."

Danny snorted. "Of course you do." He hooked her arms around his neck and pulled her close so he could say in her ear, "Comet books." She laughed once and it sounded to Danny like she might cry, so he held her tight and murmured, "I love you and I will see you in four weeks. And I will talk to you every single day between now and then. Maybe twice a day. You're going to get tired of talking to me."

"Not a chance, babe." She felt him smile hearing her call him that. "I love you. I can't wait to see you in DC." She squeezed him tighter. "I have to get on the plane."

He pulled back so he could kiss her deeply, and when he let her go, he said, "Have a good flight, love. I'll talk to you in a few hours."

She nodded and touched his face, then gathered her things and got on the plane. Danny watched her until he couldn't see her anymore, and went to find Grace and Steve.

Cassie texted and called from LAX and again when she got home. They talked for half an hour, Grace and Steve each taking a turn on the phone, before Danny made her get off the phone so she could get some sleep. The house was empty without her there, and although Steve and Grace tried to keep him occupied, he went to bed early missing her.


	20. Chapter 20

There were a few times in Danny's life when a month had seemed like forever. The time between when Grace had moved to Hawaii and he had followed. The first month after he and Rachel split up. The weeks after he found Matt.

This month was different, because while the waiting sucked, it was in service to a good kind of anticipation.

He and Cassie talked every day. Usually Danny called her first thing in the morning his time, or Cassie called before she went to bed, catching him just before he left the office or while he was out with the team. They texted, too, and even though Danny had never been much for text conversations, he relished being able to send her notes throughout the day. Sometimes it made all the difference just to know she was there.

Occasionally he'd call from the office so the others could say hi. And Cassie and Grace talked, about her math project and other stuff.

But talking with her paled in comparison to being with her, so when Steve offered him the opportunity to travel to DC several days early, he jumped at it. He'd have to work some of the time he was there, but it would be worth it to be with Cassie.

He'd worried about leaving Grace, especially since he wasn't going to be there for Thanksgiving, but she wrangled extra time with him before he left, and told Danny he had to go.

Danny knew Cassie would hate missing him arrive at the airport, but the temptation to surprise her was too much, so he called her before he left and told her they'd caught a case and he'd text or call when he could, but would probably be out of touch for the next day or so.

He checked in with her quickly when he changed planes at LAX, telling her he was just taking a break. He made sure to double check her plans for the night. He knew she was supposed to be out at a work event that night, and learned she was planning to meet friends for drinks at a hotel bar across the street before the event.

Danny didn't bother to rent a car when he arrived, instead taking a cab into the city. He found the hotel, a stately old DC institution with a storied bar inside, easily and staked out a spot in the lobby. She'd mentioned bringing him here when he was in town, and he could see why. It was definitely a DC thing to do, judging from the people walking through the lobby and into the bar or restaurant.

He could see the main entrance, but he wouldn't be noticed immediately by anyone walking in. He sat down and waited, this being a far more pleasant stake out than he was used to. He checked his phone; he'd gotten a text from her saying she was headed out for her thing but she'd try to call him when she got home that night.

He didn't have to wait long for Cassie to arrive. Danny took a moment to admire her in her dark purple dress. It was a simple sheath with some kind of lace sleeve, but it fit her perfectly and Danny supposed a month really was a long time.

Cassie met some of her friends just inside the front door, and they stopped there, it looked like to wait for others since they were watching the front door. Danny called her. He watched her as she reacted to her phone ringing and was gratified to see her smile as she recognized the name on the screen.

She answered immediately. "Hey there."

"Hey, love. You at your event yet?"

"No, we just got to the Willard. I've got a few minutes to talk. How's the case going?" He watched her step away from the group so she could hear better.

"Ah, you know. The usual. But I may not be around when you get in this evening, so I thought I'd call now."

"I am so looking forward to you being here in the same time zone."

He chuckled. "Believe me, I know." He could see her other friend join the group and she lifted a hand to let her friends know she was almost done with her call.

"Hey, babe, I've got to go. I'll text you later on in case you've got time to talk." she said.

"Go, have fun. Be careful out there. Oh, and Cass?"

"Yeah?"

"For the record, you look _stunning_ in that dress. I am particularly fond of that color on you." He saw her freeze. "I'm really hoping I can talk you into wearing it again when we go out to dinner, though to be honest, I'm more looking forward to taking it off you tonight." He was proud that she didn't look wildly around the room for him. Instead she assessed the space, turning so that she started at one end of the room for a visual sweep, and when her eyes landed on him, he was pretty sure they could have seen her smile from space.

"You're here," Cassie said into the phone.

"I am," Danny replied, grinning at her.

"You may like this dress, but I can't run and fling myself into your arms in it." She started walking towards him, her friends looking after her in confusion.

Danny chuckled. "I'll settle for some intense but location-appropriate PDA."

"Done." Cassie kept the phone to her ear until she was right in front of him. He reached out and cupped the side of her face, and then kissed her until she was breathless and clutching the front of his shirt.

It felt amazing to have her in his arms again. Danny didn't want to let go, but they were in a public place and her friends were watching them with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"You're _here_ ," she repeated. "How are you here?" she pulled back so she could see his face.

He shrugged. "Steve dropped me off at the airport, I got on the first plane I saw, and when it landed, this was the closest city."

"Smartass. I love you. Why are you here early? Why didn't you let me know?"

He touched her face gently. "And lose the chance to surprise you like this?" She smiled and leaned her face into his hand. "As for why, love, Steve sent me out here for, of all things, a conference and some meetings. He said to tell you he hopes this is what you had in mind."

"Yes. I'll take you here any way I can get you." He raised his eyebrows, interpreting that in the most suggestive way possible. She blushed and Danny grinned. "You're incorrigible. I love you. Come meet my friends."

Danny grabbed his bags with one hand and let her pull him by the other to meet her friends. He joined them in the bar and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them, Cassie tucked close by his side the whole time.

There was even a familiar face. Susan grinned and greeted him with a hug, saying, "I knew there was something between you two."

Danny laughed. "You and every other person there, apparently."

"I'm so glad you and Cassie met, even though you're stealing her away from us."

Danny shook his head. "We're still talking about that."

Susan gave him a look. "Keep telling yourself that. Just make sure you have a spare bedroom for when I come to visit you two."

When they had to leave, Danny planned to stay there to wait for her, and Cassie shook her head. "Why don't you come with me? It's just an industry reception."

Danny said, "I don't want to get in your way."

Susan leaned over and said, "You should come with us. You will be, by far, the most interesting person there."

Cassie laughed, but didn't disagree. "If it helps, I'll call Linda and see if there's anyone there she wants you to talk with."

Danny nodded once. "Oh, so you're bringing in the big guns."

Cassie looped her arm through his. "If I were bringing in the big guns, I'd call Steve and just let him annoy you into coming with me."

She knew him so well, and he loved it. "Okay, okay. If you're sure it's alright, I'll come with you." Cassie gave him a brilliant smile. He followed her out the door, a few steps behind the rest of the group, and said in a low voice in her ear, "If only because I intend to talk you into leaving early."

Her smile took on a mischievous glint and she said, "Yes, please."

It was, improbably, fun. Cassie introduced him to more of her friends, including her industry association friend that had supplied key information in the Greer case. She worked the crowd and specifically made sure Danny met a few people she thought he might be interested in bringing to Linda's attention.

She also introduced him to her boss, the NASA Administrator, who was a flown astronaut, as well as a retired military officer. Danny was genuinely impressed and couldn't wait to tell Grace and Steve.

After about an hour, Cassie took advantage of the end of a conversation with the head of a satellite company to grab a quiet moment at the side of the room. She'd noticed Danny starting to zone out a bit. "Did you sleep on the plane at all?" she asked.

"Little bit, yeah. I'm fine."

She bit her lip. "Thought you were going to talk me into leaving early."

One of Danny's eyebrows went up and he nodded. "I'm terribly, terribly tired and really should go home. And I can't find my way on my own here in the big city."

Cassie grinned. "Poor thing. Grab your stuff and I'll meet you at the front door. I'm going to let a couple of people know that I'm headed out."

Danny had a cab waiting for them and he gratefully sunk into the back seat as she gave the driver her address. Cassie leaned her head on his shoulder and he enjoyed having her close again.

Once inside her building, Cassie led him into the elevator and hit the button for her floor. Once the doors closed, she stepped close and kissed him deeply. Danny automatically pulled her to him and kissed her back, almost missing the sound of the elevator doors when they opened.

To be honest, Danny didn't get a good look at Cassie's apartment that night. He dropped his bags inside the door and kicked them out of the way while occupying his hands with far more important activities like finding the zipper on the back of Cassie's dress.

He kept getting distracted by the way she was unbuttoning his shirt and he finally pulled it over his head and tossed it somewhere in the vicinity of his suitcase. She was careful to lay her dress over the back of a chair, but the rest of their clothes ended up scattered between her front door and the bed.

Danny supposed more finesse might have been called for, but the second Cassie's skin touched his, any rational thought he might have had fled and she responded in kind. But later on, he realized what he missed most was lying in bed with her, listening to her breathe, listening to her laugh, listening to that little gasp she made when he ran his fingers down her skin.

Cassie finally slept and Danny watched her. Part of it was the time difference - it still felt like early evening to him - but part of it was simply not wanting to sleep, still needing to make sure this was real. And when she woke up halfway through the night and reached for him, he lost himself in her once again, savoring every second.

* * *

When Danny woke up, he was by himself but he could hear Cassie in the next room. And after a minute, she came back into the bedroom, carrying a mug that smelled wonderful. He grinned and propped himself up on one elbow. "I thought I was supposed to bring you coffee."

"I figured you might appreciate it more this morning. Did you sleep at all?" She sat down on the bed.

"A little." Danny sat up and carefully took the mug from her. "Not complaining, though. I like watching you sleep. I like it even more when you wake up in the middle of the night." She blushed and he set the mug down on her bedside table so he could lean over and kiss her. "That would be my favorite way to lose sleep."

Cassie rested her forehead against his, her hand warm on his arm. "Might be my favorite way to be late to work." She kissed him again.

He finally woke up enough to notice that she was mostly dressed for work, so he pulled back a little and cupped her cheek. "I love you. Good morning."

She chuckled. "Good morning. Love you, too."

"As much as I would like to make you late for work, I've got to get going, too. I've got a meeting at Justice at nine."

"You want me to wait and take the train in with you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "What, you think I can't find my way?"

"I don't know." She cocked her head. "Been a while since you had to take the subway. You'll have to change trains."

Danny knew she was teasing, but he looked offended anyway. "Your little metro with five lines…"

"Six. Sort of."

Danny snorted. "That overlap part of the way and no express trains? I think I'll manage, babe." He ran his fingers over the bit of bare skin showing at her neck. "But taking the train with you sounds like fun, if you can give me a few minutes."

"You got it. Want breakfast?"

"Yes, please. Whatever you're having."

To anyone else, being crushed in a crowded subway car during morning rush hour would probably be a lower level of hell. To Danny, it was bliss. And it wasn't just because of the woman pressed up against him. He enjoyed the crowd of people ignoring each other, the quiet of people who hadn't had enough coffee yet, and the mostly efficient way people moved on and off the cars.

Cassie got to her stop first, so she kissed him quickly and he watched her get off the train. It felt very domestic and familiar, and Danny marveled at the ease with which they'd come back together after a month apart. It wasn't just the physical aspect, though honestly, Danny couldn't wait to get her alone again that night.

It was that he felt right being with her. That whole morning hadn't been awkward or weird, and even though they were rushed getting out of the apartment, it all felt… normal.

Danny got through his meetings that morning, and then grabbed lunch from a food truck Cassie had recommended since she couldn't get away from her office for lunch. He took a quick swing through one of the museums downtown, then went back for more meetings.

By mid-afternoon, the lack of sleep was catching up with him, so he called Cassie and told her he was heading back to her apartment. She'd given him a key before they left that morning, so he let himself in and crawled into bed.

Danny woke up groggy and noticed that it gotten dark outside. He also noticed that he wasn't alone. Cassie was curled up on the other side of the bed, arm tucked under her head, fast asleep. He brushed hair off her face and ran his hand down her arm. She stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey, love," Danny said, voice still raspy from sleep.

She smiled and shifted so that she was half-draped over him, head on his chest, one arm thrown across him. "Hey, babe," she replied.

He wrapped his arms around her. "What time is it?"

She turned her head so she could see her clock. "About eight."

"Ah, sorry for sleeping the evening away."

"S'okay. I like watching you sleep, too."

He huffed a laugh. "Oh, is that what you were doing?"

"Of course, that's what I was doing."

Cassie could hear the smile in his voice as Danny said, "Right. I always watch people with my eyes closed. Works out much better that way." She poked him in the side and he squirmed and laughed as she hit a sensitive spot. "Okay, okay. You were totally awake, keeping an eye on me." He caught her hand and stilled it, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb over the pulse point on her wrist. She took a ragged breath and suddenly Danny wanted her. "How do you do that, hmmm?" He sounded a little perplexed, like she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

She propped herself up on her other arm to look at him. "Do what?" she asked.

"Make me laugh and then make me crazy with wanting you." The hand on her back lifted for a second. "Not that I don't always want you, but right now it's all I can think about." He brought her wrist to his mouth, and kissed where his thumb had traced. She shivered and took another ragged breath and all Danny could see in her eyes was heat and desire. And then she smiled at him, and he realized that under that heat was love, and that's why he wanted to laugh and kiss her at the same time. He was just, simply, purely happy.

* * *

Friday was another rushed morning as they both tried to get out the door on time. Danny teased Cassie, asking if she was going to show up unexpectedly at his conference. She laughed and promised she had her own set of meetings that day, but they were all safely at her office.

They made plans to meet up that evening, and then once again rode the train in together. Cassie leaned against him as they stood in the packed car, and Danny kissed her when he got off the train first.

His phone buzzed with a text as he stepped off the escalator. _BTW - I really like riding the train with you. Who knew Metro could actually be fun? Love you._

Danny grinned and sent a quick note back. _Definitely the second best part of my morning. Love you, too._ He knew she'd be blushing as he reminded her of how he'd woken her up that morning.

His phone dinged. _Thank you for that very distracting thought. Hopefully no one will notice if I'm daydreaming during meetings today._

This conference wasn't nearly as interesting as the last one he'd been to, and he missed having Cassie there to liven things up. He welcomed the interruption when Steve called him later that afternoon.

_"_ _Hey, partner. How's DC?"_

"Really good. The meetings are going fine."

Danny could practically hear Steve roll his eyes from halfway around the world. " _How's Cassie?_ "

To be fair, Danny was pretty sure Steve could hear the smile in his voice. "Cassie is good." And because he thought it was important to say, "Hey, Steve. Thank you for sending me out here early."

_"_ _You bet, brother. I'm glad it's been a good couple of days. Bet you're glad to be back on the East Coast, too."_

"Ah, yeah. It's nice. But mostly…" he trailed off, not wanting to sound too much like a sap.

Predictably, Steve got it anyway. _"Mostly, you're just happy to be with Cassie."_

"Yeah."

" _She's happy to have you there. She sent me an email this morning_."

"She did?"

His phone dinged, and he saw that Steve had forwarded him an email. The subject simply said "thank you." The body of the email was a picture of him talking with the NASA Administrator at the reception on Wednesday night. At the top, she had written: _Promise he still likes SEALs best, even if an astronaut Marine is pretty impressive_.

Danny smiled. He knew Cassie had taken the picture so he could send it to Grace. Of course, he would have shown it to Steve, too, but Danny was happy she felt comfortable sending it directly to him. "You know, astronaut Marines are really impressive."

" _Come on, you miss me._ "

"That's very presumptuous, Steven. I've barely had any time to miss you."

" _Now I know you miss me._ "

Danny sighed. "Fine. I miss you."

" _What are you doing now?_ "

"Right now?"

" _Yeah. You're obviously not in a meeting_."

"Well, no. My phone rang, so I stepped outside to see who it was interrupting my very busy schedule."

" _Can't be that busy if you can step outside._ "

"You should know since you were the one that set my schedule."

" _And that's why I want to know what you're doing right now._ "

Steve sounded like he thought he'd scored a point, and Danny grinned to himself. "Right now, at this very moment, I am outside the convention center. It's incredibly interesting."

" _You should go do something fun._ "

"I hesitate to ask this, because I know what your definition of fun is, but what do you think I should go do?

" _Well, partner, you're the one in town to visit your girl. If you have to ask what you should do, you may not be doing it right._ "

"I take it back. I don't miss you at all."

Steve laughed. " _I assume Cassie is taking you to Air and Space?_ "

"Both of them, yes, tomorrow. She's giddy about it and it's adorable. She's got a few other things on her list, too, before we head down to her parents."

" _You ready to meet the parents_?"

"Yeah, actually. I'm looking forward to it."

" _You're very Zen right now,_ " Steve said. " _I can't decide if I should encourage Cassie to move here, or just send you to DC to visit her every month_."

"Funny. Listen, I'm going to go finish these meetings that my boss is making me do, so that I can go meet my gorgeous girlfriend and do something fun.

" _Sounds like a good plan, Danno. Tell Cassie I said hi._ "

* * *

Cassie left work a little early so she could meet Danny downtown. She took him to one of her favorite restaurants, an upscale Indian place. They sat at the bar, which Danny decided was an excellent idea because instead of sitting at an appropriate distance across a table from her, his arm brushed hers and he could lean into her throughout dinner.

And dinner out with Cassie was fun. It wasn't that going out with her in Hawaii hadn't been fun, but it was more that beginning of a relationship, anticipatory fun. This was just fun, pure and simple. No pressure and no stress. Danny hadn't enjoyed himself this much in ages, and he was happy to let go of everything else and just be with her.

After dinner, Cassie took him for a walk on the Mall down by the monuments. They sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and people watched. It was warm for the end of November, and there were a lot of people out. They talked about nothing in particular and Danny stole the occasional kiss, until he finally looked at her and asked "Home?"

Cassie leaned her head against his. It meant so much to her that Danny thought of her apartment as home, and she didn't think it was the place so much as it was her. She was beginning to think, too, that home was wherever he was. She kissed him softly and said in agreement, "Home."


	21. Chapter 21

Danny slept late Saturday morning, still adjusting to the time difference. When he got up, Cassie was in the other room fairly bouncing with excitement. He asked, yawning, "Got anything fun planned today?" The look she gave him made him want to laugh. "Give me twenty minutes and I'll be ready to go." Cassie kissed him and he added, "Or you could make it forty-five minutes…"

"Nope," she said, patting his chest.

He did laugh, kissed her again, and went to grab a quick shower.

She had coffee and breakfast waiting for him when he came back, including a concoction that he supposed could be considered a doughnut.

"I ran to the farmers market and the bakery while you were sleeping. And since you're letting me bombard you with all my favorite DC things today, I thought you needed a little extra something as incentive."

"First, I don't need incentive. I'm looking forward to today, because you're my tour guide. Second, you can always tempt me with fried dough. I know it's such a stereotype, but yes, I like doughnuts. And third, how many of these have you had already?"

She grinned and bounced. "None."

"Uh-huh. So, you're naturally like this?"

"Maybe?" She stretched the word out, and Danny laughed again. Today was definitely going to be fun.

* * *

Danny learned more about planes and rockets and other spacey things than he thought possible, but none of it was uninteresting. Part of the reason was because Cassie told stories about each of the things they saw. Some of those stories were personal, like when she took her parents to Florida to see space shuttle Discovery launch, and some were about the gossipy stuff they didn't mention in museums, like what the early days of the space program were really like.

The other part of the reason it was interesting was that his girlfriend glowed when she talked about her favorite subject. Several times at each museum, other people walking past them would stop and listen to her talking, like she was an impromptu tour guide. And every time a kid asked her a question, she'd always take time to answer.

Danny had a thought that by moving to Hawaii, she'd be leaving all this. It must have shown on his face because as they walked out of the museum into the cool November sun, she looped her arm through his.

"You know, they have a good science museum in Honolulu," Cassie said.

"Grace has been a few times. But it's not this."

"I don't need this, Danny." She looked at the museum. "It's great, but it's not necessary."

"Yeah, but it's just part of what you'd be giving up to move."

Cassie stopped in the middle of the parking lot, not sure whether to take him seriously or not. "Are you trying to talk me out of moving to Hawaii?"

Danny replied, "I'm not trying to talk you into or out of anything. We agreed four months for you to think about it. I'm just pointing out a fact."

She shook her head. "No, it sounds like you're trying to talk me out of moving."

There was a car driving their way, and Cassie wasn't moving, so Danny took her arm and pulled her over to a grassy space under a tree and out of the way. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Maybe I'm pointing out the things you'll miss so that you really consider the downside of moving."

"Danny, it's Hawaii, not… North Korea." Cassie picked a terrible-sounding place at random and was surprised when Danny nodded in agreement.

"True. Hawaii is not as bad as North Korea." Her eyes went wide and he waved a hand. "Ah, Steve," he said by way of explanation.

She nodded slowly. "Can you tell me that story? Without me losing my security clearance?"

Danny huffed a laugh. "Yeah, but maybe not here."

Cassie rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I feel like we need to do a lightning round exchange of stories in different categories."

Danny tilted his head. "I'll take "Crazy Things I've Done" for $1000?"

She snorted. "Exactly. Or we could just make lists and swap them."

"Oh, I am never writing down some of the things I've done." At her look, he waved a hand. "Not anything bad, just seeing really stupid things you've done written down is an extra kind of punishment."

"Good point. Okay, how's this. Before you leave, you, me, a bottle of whiskey, and story time?"

Danny grinned. "I love you."

Cassie shook her head, but smiled. Then she patted his chest. "Then stop trying to talk me out of moving."

After seeing both museums, they drove out to a nearby brewery to meet some of her friends over a late lunch. Ali worked at the Pentagon and Kate worked on Capitol Hill. Shawn was an analyst at the Department of Transportation. Lea and Mike were friends from college who had moved to DC a few years back; he was a writer and she did public affairs for the State Department.

They stood at the tasting bar and did introductions while they all got flights. Over lunch and the beers, Danny got to know them. It was like hanging out with his ohana - they were a little loud, boisterous, and teased each other. It was clear that they considered each other to be family.

He had the thought again that he'd be taking Cassie away from this, from her chosen family, and he got caught in that thought until she nudged his foot under the table. He looked up at her from across the table and she leaned forward to ask quietly, "I'm going to have to start telling bad space jokes, aren't I?"

Danny started to answer sarcastically, then closed his mouth. She was right. He was getting spun up without any reason. So he shook his head and asked just as quietly, "Want to go find a dark corner and make out?"

Cassie tried not to smile. "Is that your reaction to every threat?"

He snorted. "No, that's my reaction to you."

In the car driving home after some more sightseeing, Danny circled back to their earlier conversation. "It's not that I'm trying to convince you not to move. But I know what it's like to give up your friends and familiar places and start over, and I don't want you to do that without understanding what it means."

Cassie was quiet for a bit before responding. "I know what it means. It wouldn't be the first time I've moved, even over a long distance. And I know it's a big decision, and I appreciate so much that you want me to do what's best for me." She paused to let her words sink in. "I wouldn't be giving anything up by moving, and I wouldn't be starting over. It'll be the least-scariest move I've ever made."

Danny thought about what she was saying. It really wasn't the same as when he'd moved to Hawaii. Cassie would have a whole support network - his family - there. He looked at her and said, "You'll let me make the move as easy for you as possible?"

She looked at him and nodded. "Promise."

* * *

Danny woke up slowly. He'd finally managed to fall asleep at a normal hour last night, but he still felt a little out of it. Until somewhere in his foggy brain, he remembered that it was Sunday. He liked Sundays. There was a leisurely breakfast, football, Sunday dinner, and if he was very, very lucky… He opened his eyes and smiled. Definitely lucky.

Cassie lay propped up on one arm, reading a paperback book. Danny watched her. Her eyes tracked over the page and when she shifted to turn the page, a lock of hair fell across her face. Danny reached out and brushed it back and she looked up and smiled at him.

He knew that there was no way he could have this every Sunday. It might be a Saturday or a holiday or he might miss it because he got called out on a case. But he thought if he could just have this one perfect moment every once in awhile, he could handle anything else the world threw at him.

She knew he was thinking about something, so Cassie just watched him patiently even as his fingers brushing lightly over her skin sent shivers through her. Danny slipped his hand behind her head and kissed her deeply, and it wasn't until much later that Cassie, twined around him, said exactly what he was thinking.

"I really like our Sundays. I know every Sunday is probably too much to ask, but I wouldn't mind it if it were."

"I'm in," Danny said, tracing lines up and down her back. "This might even beat football for a Sunday tradition." He said it blandly, but knew he was going to get a reaction. He sucked in a breath as he got that reaction in the form of her fingernails hitting a particularly sensitive spot.

"You'd rather watch football than do this?" Her fingers teased him.

"Football? What's football?" he asked as his breath caught again.

The combination of her touch and her wicked laugh sent heat straight to his gut and he decided there was absolutely no reason to get out of bed any time soon.

They met Ali and Kate for a late brunch, and then spent a lazy rest of the day at home. Cassie caught up on stuff around her apartment, getting ready to be out town for several days. Danny insisted on working with her, even though she said she had it all under control. In turn, Cassie insisted that he watch football, since he could actually watch the games live instead of on a delay because of the time difference.

While they fixed dinner, Danny told Cassie about North Korea. He shared a few other stories over dinner, and later that evening, they wound up on the couch as Cassie shared a few stories of her own, telling him about taking flying lessons and the time she and her instructor flew through a bad storm, both certain they weren't going to make it back to the ground safely.

Cassie had never finished getting her pilot's license because she'd moved and then moved again before she was able to, then started grad school and just didn't have time. Danny guessed that as soon as Steve found out about that, Cassie would be on her way to flying. He half-joked that maybe she could learn how to fly Kamekona's helicopter and groaned to himself when her eyes lit up.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night, Cassie woke up because Danny sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily. It took her a second to realize that he was awake. He wasn't moving, just sitting there, head down, breathing. "Danny?" she asked quietly. When he didn't answer, she sat up. She slowly reached out to put a hand on his back. He jerked from the touch and she dropped her hand. She heard him breathe out in a sigh as he pushed the covers back and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Danny?" she asked again.

"Go back to sleep, babe," he said without looking at her. He got up and left the room. Cassie heard water running in the bathroom and after a few minutes, a light went on in the kitchen. Cassie got out of bed and went into the other room.

Danny was sitting at the counter, head in his hands. She carefully stood next to him, but didn't touch him. "You okay?" she asked softly.

He finally moved, half turning, but still not looking at her. "You shouldn't be up. You have to work in a few hours. Go back to bed." Cassie slid onto the barstool next to him, facing him, leaning one elbow on the counter. Danny sighed again. "Are you always this recalcitrant?"

"Yep," she said. "Nightmare?" He nodded. "You want to talk about it?"

Danny shook his head. "Honestly, no. I just want to get it out of my head."

"What do you need?"

He finally looked at her and half-smiled. "Bad tv. Or a game. But I didn't want to wake you up."

Cassie slid back off the stool and tugged on his hand to pull him over to the couch. When he sat, she sat down next to him and handed him the remote control. Danny turned on the tv, then shifted and pulled on her arm so that she would curl up against him. He flipped through channels, finally ending up on an old college football game. He settled back and let the white noise of the game and the regular breathing of the woman whose head was resting on his chest lull him back into sleep.

Danny woke up the next morning alone on the couch. He heard the shower running and got up to check and see if Cassie had started coffee. When he saw that she hadn't, he did, and had a mug waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom.

Cassie took the cup gratefully, and leaned in to kiss him good morning. Which ended with the mug back on the counter and Cassie pressed up against it. Danny hadn't quite intended that level of intensity, but he found he craved it this morning. Cassie buried her face in his neck and he held on to her.

"I'm sorry I woke you up last night," Danny said.

She shook her head. "Don't be. I don't mind."

He let her go, but kept his arms loosely linked around her waist. "I don't get nightmares often. After a particularly bad case, maybe. Or, oddly enough, when I'm not sleeping enough. They've been worse since…" He wanted to close his eyes, but kept them locked on hers instead. "For the last year, they've been worse. I lost Matt, and then we almost lost Steve. And sometimes when I dream about it, I get them mixed up, and sometimes I lose both of them." He tried to shake off the queasy feeling he got when thinking about it.

Cassie studied him quietly. "You're pretty good at dealing with the stuff you see, aren't you?"

Danny half laughed. "I'm not sure that's a good thing. But yeah, I handle it."

"How do you do it?" she asked, curious.

He sighed. "I put it off to the side and come home and hug my kid. Lately, I call you. This," Danny tapped her back with his thumbs, "is even better, but just hearing your voice helps. I talk to the department shrink if I need to, and I hate doing that." He thought about it. "I argue with Steve. I think we're each other's release valve. I sleep on the couch from time to time watching old football games."

Cassie tilted her head. "You sleep on the couch after the nightmare, or to keep from having them?"

He shrugged. "Little bit of both."

"Danny, how often are you sleeping on the couch?"

He acknowledged the point with a sigh. "More than I should be, probably."

She nodded and asked seriously, "So, other than the obvious, what's bothering you about Matt and Steve that you haven't been able to deal with while you're awake?"

Danny blinked at her. "I don't know." She nodded like that made sense and he pulled her close again, resting his chin on her shoulder.

* * *

Cassie worked all day Monday while Danny enjoyed some down time. Grace called him early morning her time to ask if she could stay with Steve Friday night so she didn't have to go to a party with her mom and stepdad. He talked with Steve about that, and about a case, and then caught up on sleep. By the time Cassie got home, he was feeling more like himself.

Although Cassie took Tuesday off, the whole day was busy. They were gearing up to drive to her parents the next day, then directly to New Jersey on Friday.

Cassie was working in the kitchen, getting things together to take to her parents the next day. She wanted to start some of the cooking, so she had dishes out and the counters covered. Danny had asked what he could do and she waved him off so he could go call Grace instead. When he walked back in, he grabbed the remote and flipped the tv off. "Hey," Cassie said from the kitchen, "Watching that."

Danny leaned on the bar. "Why on Earth would you watch that crap?"

"You mean the news?" she asked dryly.

"Watching the news is good. All that is," he jerked his head toward the tv, "is talking heads yelling at each other."

"It's DC. National news is our local news. So, yeah, I find it important to keep up with."

"Bet you'll enjoy not watching it when you're in Hawaii." He tossed the remark off casually, not really thinking anything of it.

But there was a mild chill in her voice when she said, "Are you saying that I won't want to watch cable news when I move, or that you don't think it's important that I get to decide what I watch?"

"With the time difference and the fact that Hawaii is so far away from all this, watching the national news is like watching the BBC." He shrugged. "I'm just saying, with all that, you won't miss it."

"Good thing I can keep up with it online."

"You didn't watch it when you were there a month ago."

"Yeah, I did actually. I wasn't with you every waking moment." He shrugged, and she stopped, exasperated. "Danny. Go call Steve."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Because you've been here almost a week and that means you haven't argued with Steve in almost a week. If you don't go call him, you and I are about to have our very first full-blown fight and I don't have time for that right now."

Danny pursed his lips and nodded. "I thought our first fight was when I made assumptions about runners and you wanting to go out by yourself?"

"Oh, good, so you do remember that. Now if you could just remember what you said."

"That you don't mind my opinions, you just minded me being an ass about them." Cassie waved a hand to say _exactly_ and kept rushing around in the kitchen. Danny thought about it for a minute. "This is your thing, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "What?"

"I kept a postcard of Jersey in the car for a while, until Steve found it and gave me hell. Cable news is your postcard."

"Danny, I'm not in Hawaii yet. I don't know what my thing is."

"But watching the news is important to you."

She finally looked at him. "Yes, it is."

"And I'm being an ass by telling you what you're going to do, or in this case not do, at some nebulous time in the future."

"Little bit, yeah, and it's only three months."

Danny recognized that she was mad at him, but she was still counting the days. He moved into the kitchen so that the next time she turned around, she almost ran into him. "Hey, stop for a second." She did, but he could tell she was still frustrated. He put his hands on her arms. "I'm sorry. You're right. I told you something that is important to you wasn't actually important, and that was me being a jerk. I shouldn't have made the assumption."

All the frustration visibly went out of her and she shook her head. "It's okay, Danny."

"That I'm being an ass?" He raised his eyebrows.

That got a smile out of her. "That you recognized it."

"So, apology accepted?"

"Apology accepted." She kissed his cheek and stepped away. "I still think you need to call Steve."

"Nah, I'd rather stay here and help you."

She waved, dismissing him. "All good. I've just got to finish a couple of projects and then pack."

"A couple of projects? It looks like you're baking for the next week."

"I know. I just don't want Mom and Dad to have to do everything when we get there, and this is all stuff I can do before we leave."

"I can help, you know." It was his turn to sound mild.

"No, it's fine. I've got it."

He watched her for a moment, and then said, "You're used to doing everything on your own aren't you?" He was acutely aware of that feeling of being alone to deal with whatever life threw at you. It had taken him the longest time, and the persistence of a Navy SEAL, to show him he wasn't alone.

She shrugged, even as she checked a pan in the oven, pulling it out for a second then sliding it back in. "Yeah."

"You don't have to, not any more." He said it quietly, but something in his voice made her stop and look at him. He looked back at her. "You're not alone."

She blinked at him and then closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what, babe?"

"I was keeping you at arm's length, wasn't I?"

"Little bit, yeah." He took the oven mitt from her hand and put it on the counter, then took her hands. "It's okay."

She dropped her forehead on his chest. "That I'm keeping you out while I make you watch my amazing seventeen things in half an hour act?"

He grinned. "No, that you recognized it." He kissed the top of her head. "Apology accepted." Cassie raised her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. Danny held her close and said seriously, "I mean it. You're not alone. You don't have to handle anything by yourself, not anymore."

She nodded against his neck. "I know. I really do, even if I'm still getting used to it." She pulled back so she could look at him. "And I know you've got Grace and Steve, and Chin, Kono, and Lou, but you know you've got me, too, right?"

"Even when I'm being an ass?"

"Especially when you're being an ass. You're stuck with me."

"No place I'd rather be, babe."

"In that case, yes, please. I would love your help." Danny nodded and held up a finger. "Hang on a sec." He went to turn the tv back on, and when he got back to the kitchen, Cassie kissed him until the timer on the oven buzzed loudly.


	22. Chapter 22

They drove down on Wednesday to Cassie's parents, who lived just outside Charlottesville, Virginia. It was a nice college town, Danny thought as they passed through the downtown area.

Cassie kept driving, finally turning down a country road, paved but definitely not a highway, and after a short drive, pulled into a long driveway that ended next to a large farm house.

"Um, Cass?" Danny said.

"Yeah?" she replied, starting to undo her seatbelt.

"You live on a farm?"

"It's not a farm."

Danny waved a hand out the window at the fence to his right. "There are cows."

"That's the Sinclair's land." Danny gave her a look. "And the Sinclair's cows," Cassie added, chuckling at his reaction.

Danny looked to his left at the house. "Ah, okay, maybe there aren't cows, but that still looks like a farm." Cassie raised her eyebrows and Danny held up a hand. "I'm just saying, I had no idea you were a farm girl."

"I am _not_ a farm girl."

"Please tell me you wore cutoffs and a tied up shirt and your hair in pigtails." Danny shifted in the seat to face her, leaning forward a bit.

Cassie stared at him. "Danny Williams, I swear to god, if the words Daisy Duke come out of your mouth, I will drop your ass in the middle of the Sinclair's cow pasture and leave you there."

He grinned at her. "Might be worth it if there are pictures." Cassie tried not to react and Danny laughed. "Oh, there are so pictures, aren't there. I can't wait to ask your mom."

"Cow pasture, Danny."

He shut up but the grin stayed on his face as they got out of her car. Cassie's mom met them as they were unloading things. After Caroline Wallace hugged her daughter, she gave her a look that took in all the stuff in the backseat of the car. Cassie wrinkled her nose and said, "I just wanted to get a head start on a few things."

"I see that," Caroline said dryly.

"Where's Dad?"

"In the barn," Cassie's mom replied.

Danny smirked and Cassie rolled her eyes. "Just because there's a barn doesn't make it a farm, Detective."

"Hey, if it walks like a cow and moos like a cow…"

Caroline stepped in. "Actually, dear, the fact that there's an acre of crops growing out back makes it a farm."

Danny gave Cassie a smug look and said to Caroline, "Thank you."

Cassie said, "Really, Mom? Let me at least introduce you before you take his side."

Danny stepped forward and held out his hand. "Danny Williams, Mrs. Wallace. I've been looking forward to meeting you, but I'm especially delighted now."

Caroline shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you as well, Danny. We've heard a lot about you."

"And yet you invited me for Thanksgiving anyway. Thank you for that." He smiled warmly at Cassie's mom, liking her already.

Caroline laughed. "We're glad you're here. Why don't you two take your things in and I'll go get your father."

They dropped food off in the kitchen and then Cassie directed Danny up the stairs and down one end of the hallway while she followed. Danny looked around the room, which had touches of Cassie here and there. "Your bedroom?"

She nodded. "I cleaned out all the kid stuff after college, but Mom wanted to leave it as a bedroom. She left Zach's room the same way, and told both of us that we always had a home and our own space here, even as adults. Olivia sleeps in here sometimes, when Zach and Jen are visiting. She thinks it's cool to sleep in Aunt Cassie's room." Cassie grinned. "She may be disappointed that you're sharing the room with me and she doesn't get to on this trip." When Danny didn't say anything, she added, "You're not going to find farm girl pictures in here."

Danny gave a small appreciative laugh and said thoughtfully, "It's been awhile since I stayed with my girlfriend at her parents' house."

Cassie stepped into his space and put her arms around his neck. "You okay with that?"

Danny wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah, of course."

"Trying not to think about Grace having a boy stay with her in a few years?"

Danny glared at her. "You are an evil woman." Cassie grinned, and Danny tapped his thumbs on her back. "Remind me to also ask your mother for stories about some of the boys you brought home."

Cassie tilted her head. "Yeah, I don't that those are going to make you feel better about Grace's future love life."

Danny looked both pained and interested. "Sounds like there are definitely some good stories there." Danny tilted his head, because she looked like she was remembering something bad. "What is it, babe?"

Cassie sighed. "The last guy I dated seriously I never brought home, though not for lack of trying. He just never wanted to meet my family."

"How serious were you with this schmuck?"

She smiled a bit at that. "We were… actually, technically, we were engaged."

Danny's eyebrows went up. "That's serious."

Cassie shook her head. "No, turns out it wasn't. We met when I moved to Atlanta, dated through grad school. He thought he could keep me there by proposing, mostly because he thought that was easier than breaking up with me. I said yes because he did this whole big public proposal thing right after graduation. Which I _hated,_ but I wasn't brave enough to say no in public. When I got my dream job offer from NASA, he thought I would turn it down so I could stay there and play house with him."

She went quiet for a second and Danny filled in the blanks with what he hoped was the end to the story. "So, you dropkicked his ass into the cow pasture and left him there to rot, right?

Cassie snorted. "No." Danny was disappointed until she added, "I only leave people I really like in the cow pasture." He smirked at her and got a tiny smile in return. "I took the job, because it was the only thing I'd ever really wanted. I thought he'd see how happy I was and move to be with me, and two months later I got an email asking for the ring back because he'd met someone else."

"Mmm-hmm. And does the schmuck still live in Atlanta?" Danny wondered out loud.

Cassie saw the gleam in his eye and shook her head at him. "I have no idea and don't care. Haven't heard from him in years. Besides, Zach beat you to it since I had him deliver the ring."

Danny pursed his lips and nodded. "I can live with that."

She sighed. "Looking back, I was in love with the idea of being in love. I had no idea what I was doing, what being in love actually meant. I wanted what my parents have, what Zach and Jen have, and I jumped at the first thing I thought looked like it. Took me a long time to figure it out."

He smoothed her hair back with one hand. "How'd you do that?"

"I took a step back and studied all the people I loved who had that kind of relationship. I spent a lot of time focusing on work, but when I got back out there, I didn't settle. I may have kissed a lot of frogs. And then…" she took a deep breath, "I met you."

Danny couldn't help the cocky smile he got as he held her gaze. "So, what you're saying is, I'm not a frog."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "You may still end up in the cow pasture, but no, you are not a frog."

"Better make sure," Danny said and kissed her until he heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. He dropped his forehead against hers and said, "Now I feel like a teenager caught in my girlfriend's bedroom by her parents."

She laughed. "Except for the teenager part, babe, that is a true statement." Cassie let him go and turned to find her father watching them from just outside the door. "Hi, Dad."

Danny immediately thought two things. One, that Dean Wallace had an excellent poker face, because Danny had no idea what the older man was thinking. And, two, that he was sure he'd never be this calm if he caught Grace in her room with a guy, no matter how old she was.

Cassie hugged her father and turned to Danny. "Dad, this is Danny Williams. Danny, this is my father, Dean Wallace."

Danny was legitimately nervous now, but moved to shake the other man's hand. "Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You, too, Danny."

"Ah, sorry about the…" Danny waved a vague hand over his shoulder toward where he and Cassie had been standing when her father knocked on the door.

Cassie looked at him, eyebrows raised, incredulous. "You're apologizing for kissing me?"

"Um, no? Just for the…" He waved vaguely again.

"Oh, for getting _caught_ kissing me." Danny glared at her and she bit her lip trying not to laugh.

Dean cracked a smile and said, "Come along, you two. Cassie, I believe your mother wants some help in the kitchen, but if we hurry, we can sneak out and I can show you what I'm working on right now."

Cassie's eyes lit up and Danny got the feeling this was tradition in their house. He followed them out, catching sight of Cassie's mom watching them leave the house. He hung back for a second like he would go help her in the kitchen but she smiled and waved him on, which confirmed Danny's guess.

The barn was set up as an elaborate workshop. It was like McGarrett's garage times three, Danny thought. Inside the barn was a car, and Cassie whistled.

"Nice, Dad. Where did you find her?" Cassie asked as Danny studied the car, hands stuck in his pockets. To him, it looked a little like Steve's Marquis, maybe shorter.

"An estate sale outside of Richmond. The owner kept it after her son passed away, so it was under a tarp in her garage. She's running now, so I thought we might take her out for a spin while you're here."

Cassie nodded eagerly. "Definitely. Can we go now?"

Dean laughed. "How about tomorrow morning? Your mother really does need a hand before Zach and Jen get here with the kids."

"Done." She looked at Danny. "Look familiar?"

"A little, yeah. It's not a Marquis, is it?"

Cassie shook her head. "It is a Mercury, though. A '72 Cougar Coupe."

Danny explained to Dean by saying, "My partner has his late father's Mercury Marquis. It's in a constant state of restoration. Every once in a while, it even actually runs."

Dean nodded once. "Good car." He looked around. "I think I've got some original Marquis parts around here. Probably nothing you can carry back in your suitcase, but I can ship it over to you if you think he could use them."

"That would make his day, and probably make my life way easier, so yes, thank you, I will take you up on that."

"We'll look for them later, when my wife is done with us."

Cassie led the way back to the house, letting Danny and her dad chat behind her. Caroline met them on the back porch and asked Dean and Danny to bring in some tables and chairs. Cassie squeezed his hand and joined her mom in the kitchen.

Danny was a little nervous about being alone with Cassie's father, but Dean, while being a quiet man, was warm and welcoming.

"Cassie said you're not much of a classic car guy," he said, pointing Danny toward a stack of chairs hanging against the wall in the garage.

"Ah, no. I like cars, but I tend to like them shiny, comfortable, and without the need for constant maintenance." He started pulling chairs down and handing them to Dean. "I love that Cassie loves them, though."

"She always wanted to know how things worked, how to fix things, so I made sure she knew how to do that."

"Cass said her first job was working for you at your hardware store," Danny said.

Dean nodded. "But she was a fixture there from the time she was a kid, always into things. Either that or hiding in a corner reading a book."

"I might have experienced the focused reading," Danny grinned. "And I'm glad that at least one of us is handy, because I certainly am not."

Dean studied him. "You're comfortable with her knowing her way around a tool box?"

"Very much so. I'm also comfortable with the fact that she's smarter than I am."

"Not every guy she's dated has been."

Danny snorted. "Let me guess, the schmuck from Atlanta?"

Dean laughed. "That's the one."

"I can't imagine Cass with an idiot like that."

"Grad school was tough for her. She was fine with the material, but she was one of a very few women in her program at the time, and most of her professors were less than supportive, which was different than the experience she had growing up and in college. I think she was looking for one constant thing outside of school to get her through. We knew she'd be okay, though the engagement was a bit of a surprise."

"It sounds like it was to her, too." Danny pulled down the last chair and handed it to Dean.

Dean nodded. "She called her mom that night and cried because she hated that proposal so much."

Danny hurt for the woman he was in love with. Even though it had happened years ago, and she was clearly over it, he wanted to make things better for her, to make her smile. He looked up and realized that Dean was watching him. He felt like he owed Cassie's dad some kind of reassurance. "I'm guessing it was also a surprise when she invited me for Thanksgiving."

Dean grinned. "Not as much as you might think. We figured out you weren't a frog pretty early on."

Danny dropped his head into his hand. "You heard that."

"I did."

"Listen, Mr. Wallace, I have nothing but the utmost respect for your daughter. And for you and her mother."

Dean laughed. "It's Dean, Danny. And I can see how you feel about my girl." He clapped Danny on the back. "Now, let's get these into the house before Caroline comes looking for us with another assignment."

* * *

Danny saw where Cassie learned to cook, as they walked into a kitchen full of food in various stages of prep. Danny leaned on the counter next to Cassie and said, "Exactly how big is your family again?"

Caroline laughed. "Just wait until everyone else starts showing up tomorrow with more pies and dressing."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "We usually have at least three different kinds of dressing and about nine pies, because no one wants to admit that anyone else's is better."

Danny nodded. "So, whose is the best?"

Dean pointed a wooden spoon at him before he began stirring something on the stove. "For the love of god, son, do not get caught with that question. If anybody asks, just say you haven't tried them all yet."

Danny looked at Cassie and she shrugged. "We're kind of an opinionated family. You could start a major diplomatic incident by accidentally choosing the wrong pie."

"Are you sure you're not part Italian? My great-aunt didn't speak to her brother for a year after he gave the family lasagna recipe to his new wife and she messed it up the first time she tried to make it for Sunday dinner."

"Thank you, that story makes me so much less terrified of meeting your family," Cassie said.

Danny snorted. "You're not afraid of anything, NASA. And all you have to remember is the corollary to "I haven't tried them all yet" is "Why, no, I haven't eaten and would love something."

Cassie's parents exchanged a look where the kids couldn't see and Caroline smiled. She broke into the banter by saying, "Danny, what does your family usually have for Thanksgiving?"

He replied, "We do a sausage and chestnut stuffing for the turkey, ravioli or gnocchi, my mother's lasagna. My dad always does this amazing citrus and fennel salad - it's the only time of year he makes it. My grandmother makes some kind of creamy soup, in addition to about ten other things, including pumpkin cannoli."

"So, basically, I shouldn't eat between dinner here and dinner there?" Cassie asked.

Danny shrugged. "That's probably a smart plan."

By the time Cassie's brother and sister-in-law arrived a couple of hours later, Danny had been willingly pressed into service in the kitchen. Caroline nodded approvingly at his dough for rolls, which he'd just set to rise on the back of the stove. Cassie flicked some flour at him and grinned. He grinned back, remembering cooking together in his kitchen.

Caroline stopped the potential flour fight when she heard a car pull into the drive by saying, "Cassie, why don't you and Danny go help your brother carry things in?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cassie said. She grabbed Danny's hand and Danny didn't have time to be nervous about meeting Cassie's brother before they walked out the front door.

Jen, Cassie's sister-in-law, got out of the passenger side of the SUV and Danny felt like he would have known her anywhere just from Cassie's description and that minute or two on the phone. She met Cassie with a big hug, and then Cassie turned to her niece and nephew who had piled out of the car and swarmed their aunt.

Jen walked up to Danny, who introduced himself and held out a hand. The tall blond said, "Oh, please," and stepped in for a hug. Danny found himself enveloped as she added, "No wonder the girl didn't want to leave Hawaii."

When she let Danny go, he stepped back and stuck his hands in his pockets. "To be fair, I didn't want her to leave either."

Jen patted him on the arm. "Well, that's because you have good taste, sweetie."

"Jen," Cassie called over her shoulder as she was hugging her brother. "He's got a lot of family to go. Don't scare him off yet, okay?"

Zach kept his arm around Cassie's shoulders as he turned. "Introduce us, Rosie."

Danny's eyebrows went up. "Rosie? For Cassandra Rose? That's cute."

Cassie rolled her eyes, but Zach was the one that replied by shaking his head. "Rosie the Riveter."

Danny's mouth quirked up in a smile even as Cassie glared at her brother. "That's definitely cute." Cassie transferred her glare to him, which just made Danny grin. Cassie shook her head and said, "Danny, this is my brother Zach Wallace. Zach, Detective Danny Williams.

Zach let go of his sister and shook Danny's hand while the two men sized each other up.

Jen came to stand by Cassie and whispered loudly, "Zach doesn't quite know what to do. His little sister brought home a guy, but that guy's a hot shot cop, so…"

Zach looked faintly embarrassed. "My wife doesn't really know the meaning of tact."

Danny nodded knowingly. "You should meet my partner."

Cassie's niece looked up at her and tugged her hand. She leaned down where Lucas could whisper in one ear and Olivia the other, then looked up at Danny. "Yep, this is my friend from Hawaii. His name is Danny."

Danny shifted his attention to the kids. He knelt down a bit so he was on eye level with them. "Hey there. You must be Olivia," the girl nodded, "and that means you must be Lucas. I'm Danny. I've heard a lot about you from your Aunt Cassie."

"Do you really live in Hawaii?" Olivia asked.

"I do."

"Do you surf?" Lucas asked, eyes wide.

"I don't do it very often but I have surfed, yes."

"Is it fun?" Olivia asked at the same time Lucas asked, "Is it scary?"

Danny nodded thoughtfully. "It can be both. I had a really good teacher and she taught me to how to respect how powerful the ocean can be while still having fun."

Olivia looked at Jen. "Can I learn how to surf, Mom? Please?"

"Why don't we get through Thanksgiving before we start planning our summer beach trip?"

"Tell you what," Danny said, "If your mom and dad are okay with it, I'll show you how to stand on a surf board. You have to learn that before you get in the water anyway."

Olivia gave her mother a pleading look, and Jen said, "I think that's an excellent compromise."

Danny nodded and held out his hand for Olivia to shake. "Done."

Lucas said, "Me, too?"

Danny shook his hand, too. "You bet, buddy." He stood back up.

Zach said, "Now why don't we get all this stuff inside? If I know your grandmother, she has cookies waiting for you."

The kids grabbed their bags and ran inside, with the adults following more slowly. Cassie leaned into Danny and said, "You're going to let me take pictures to send to Kono, right?"

"Ah, no. Not a chance," he said. She gave him the same pleading look Olivia had. He laughed and said, "One. You can take one picture."

* * *

Dinner was simple, and after the kids went to bed, the adults sat around the big kitchen table talking. It felt so familiar to Danny: family chatter, teasing, stories told by siblings busting on each other. He loved it.

Danny didn't even have to ask to see pictures of Cassie as a kid. Her mom brought them out, and there was indeed a picture of Cassie in cutoff jeans and a tied up plaid shirt.

The morning of Thanksgiving was predictably chaotic, but fun. They all went into town for the annual Turkey Trot 5K race. Cassie told Danny he was welcome to cheer them on from the sidelines with her dad and Lucas, who weren't going to run, but he just gave her a look and a reminder that he'd never hear the end of it from Steve if he didn't run with them.

It turned into a friendly competition between Zach and Cassie, and Jen and Danny, and then Cassie and Jen couldn't stop laughing at Zach and Danny's expressions when at the end of the race, Caroline and Olivia beat them all.

After breakfast and showers, Cassie, Zach, and Dean snuck out to take the Cougar for a quick drive. Danny did wave off that invitation, noting that he had a surf lesson to give, which made the kids cheer. Cassie kissed him on the cheek as they left and whispered in his ear that he wasn't getting out of a picture that easily.

Jen managed to get more than one picture, but there was no way Danny was telling her no. Which she knew very well, judging by the smirk on her face. And that definitely felt like family, so Danny just let it slide.

Olivia wanted to know more about his surf teacher, so Danny pulled up pictures of Kono from back in her competitive surfing days.

"Why is she a police officer now?" Olivia asked.

"Well, she was surfing and she injured her knee pretty badly. And when she couldn't compete, she decided she wanted to be like her cousin." Danny grabbed his phone and showed her and Lucas a couple of pictures of Kono and Chin. "So now, in addition to being a really awesome surfer, she's a really great cop."

Olivia leaned on one knee and Lucas leaned on the other looking at the pictures. "Who's that?" Lucas asked, pointing at the screen. "That's my daughter, Grace."

Olivia looked at him. "You have a daughter?"

Danny nodded. "She's a few years older than you are."

Lucas reached to swipe to the next picture. "Hey, that's Aunt Cassie!"

Danny grinned. The picture was from their trip to the beach and showed Kono teaching Cassie how to stand on a board while Grace and Adam called helpful pointers from the side. Although as Danny recalled, they hadn't been so much helpful as funny. He said, "Kono taught your aunt just like I taught you."

"Aunt Cassie's been surfing?" Olivia asked.

"Not yet. Kono won't let her get in the water with a board until she's ready."

Jen said, "Maybe we'll visit Hawaii for our summer vacation and you two munchkins can learn to surf with your Aunt Cassie." She looked at Danny as she said it, arching one eyebrow.

Danny nodded, looking back calmly. "I think that sounds like an excellent idea."

* * *

The house filled up with family, both kids and adults. There was football on in the den, music on in the kitchen, and Danny was welcomed with open arms.

Lucas kept asking his mom if she would play a game with them, but Jen had her hands full, so Danny offered to play. Which is how Cassie found him forty-five minutes later, sitting on the floor of the den huddling with five kids over a board game. She leaned on the doorframe and watched for a few minutes. She had to catch her breath when Danny looked up at her and grinned.

Jen peered over her shoulder and then said in her ear, "Well, if that isn't the most adorable thing."

"Jen…"

"I'm just saying. The man is good with kids."

Danny saw them talking and tugged on Olivia's sleeve, then whispered something in her ear. Olivia ran up to Cassie and Jen and said, "Uncle Danny wants to know what you two are plotting."

Danny's eyebrows went up; so did one hand. "I only put her up to part of that," he said to Jen.

Jen looked down at her daughter. "You think he should be Uncle Danny?" she asked.

Olivia nodded vigorously. "We want Aunt Cassie to bring him back for Thanksgiving every year."

"And our birthdays!" Lucas called from the other side of the room and Olivia nodded again.

Jen thought about it and said, "You sticking around, Williams?"

Danny nodded surely. "Even if your sister-in-law drops me in the cow pasture, yeah, I'm not going anywhere."

"All our best family members end up in the cow pasture." Jen looked at her kids and nodded. "Looks like Uncle Danny to me."

Lucas yelled, "Yes!" and threw his arms around Danny's neck. Olivia ran back to them and plopped down next to Danny, leaning on him.

Cassie's hand found her sister-in-law's and squeezed, too choked up to talk. Jen squeezed her hand back and said low in Cassie's ear, "If I could've picked anyone for you, I would have picked him."

* * *

There must have been sixteen or seventeen people there for dinner, Danny thought, not counting the kids, though he kind of lost count. He definitely forgot names. He met aunts and uncles, a couple of cousins, and a few close friends of the family.

Dinner was pretty much like Cassie had described, except there were closer to twelve pies and four kinds of dressing. Caroline served a creamy chestnut soup to start off the meal. As she handed a bowl to Danny, she said, "I hope I did it justice. I know it's not your chestnut stuffing, but hopefully it helps bring one of your family's traditions into ours."

Danny didn't know what to say, but she seemed to understand, patting his arm. As he went to sit next to Cassie, he saw her nod at Lucas. Once Danny sat down, Lucas ran up to him, leaning close. "Hey, Uncle Danny?"

"What's up, buddy?" Danny asked him, still a little stunned by the fact that Caroline had worked to include something of his in their Thanksgiving.

Lucas pulled on his sleeve so he could whisper in Danny's ear. "Uncle Danny, what's an alien's favorite candy bar?'

Danny's eyes flew to Cassie, who was watching him. He said, "I don't know, babe. What is an alien's favorite candy bar?"

"A Mars bar!" Lucas forgot to whisper for a second and giggled loudly.

Danny laughed and held his fist out for a bump. "That's a good one, Lucas."

Cassie ruffled his hair and said, "Nicely done, kiddo." Lucas ran back to the kids table to repeat his joke there.

Danny leaned over to Cassie, saying low in her ear, "I love you."

* * *

After dinner, Danny walked out on the front porch to catch a few minutes to himself, and found Cassie's dad already there, a glass in hand. Danny apologized for interrupting him, but Dean waved him over.

"Beer or bourbon?" Dean asked.

"Ah, beer, thank you," Danny replied, and the older man passed him a bottle from the ice chest sitting near the door. Dean stood beside him on the porch looking out over the hills, lit up by a full moon. Danny said, "How did Cassie get to be such a city girl growing up in a place like this?"

Dean laughed. "That one has always had a sense of adventure. I think she became a city girl because she was from a place like this. Couldn't wait to get out of here. She's been looking for a home now for a while." He eyed Danny. "I think she might've found it."

Danny took a long drink of his beer to stall for time. "You know, she and I haven't decided anything yet. I don't want her to move just for me."

Dean nodded. "I know. We've talked about it, and I appreciate you being so thoughtful about her future. How old is your girl?"

"Grace is thirteen going on twenty-five, which terrifies me."

Dean smiled knowingly. "Cassie lights up when she talks about her." He looked sideways at Danny. "When she talks about you, too, for that matter."

Danny took another drink. "Grace adores Cassie." He was quiet for a minute. "I'm sorry that us being together means taking her so far away from you. I moved across an ocean because I couldn't bear to be away from my little girl and I don't like that I have to ask Cassie to move away from you and her mom."

Dean clapped him on the back. "Son, all kids grow up and move away, even if they only move down the street. You raise 'em right and hope to god they're able to make good lives on their own, and they let you stay involved. We've never felt disconnected from Cassie no matter where she lived, and I don't think that'll start now. So we'll come out to see you all, and you will come back here and visit. Our family's just getting a little bigger, that's all."

* * *

When Danny went back in the house, he was enlisted to help Cassie carry leftovers out to the refrigerator in the garage. She followed him out and set containers and pans down on the table next to the fridge. Danny opened the door, put what he was carrying inside, and when he turned around to get more things from Cassie, he found his arms full of her instead as she pushed him back against the fridge door and kissed him.

When they came up for breath, Danny cupped her face in one hand and pressed his forehead to hers.

Cassie wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hi there," she said.

He huffed a laugh. "How you doing?"

"Much better now, thanks." She grinned at him.

"We should really go back inside," Danny said, but didn't move.

Cassie kissed him again, just barely brushing her lips against his. "I love you. Just wanted you to know that."

Danny held her close for a long moment and said, "Love you, too, babe."

They finished putting things in the refrigerator and had just walked back inside the house when Danny's phone rang. He checked it and said, "Back in a minute, love."

Cassie grinned and said, "Tell Steve hi and happy Thanksgiving."

Danny answered the phone. "Hey, partner. Don't tell me you can't get through Thanksgiving without my cooking skills."

He heard Steve laugh through the phone. " _The turkey's fine, Danno_."

"Aw, then you miss me!" Danny teased Steve. "Or more likely, you miss driving my car."

 _"_ _Who says I'm not driving your car?_ " Steve teased back. " _How's meeting the family going?_ "

"Ah, really good," Danny said and Steve could tell just from the tone in his partner's voice that he was happy. "You call just to check on me?"

 _"_ _Actually, yeah. Wanted to make sure you didn't need backup._ " When he didn't get a response, Steve said, _"Danny? Everything okay?_ "

"Yeah," Danny breathed the word out. "Hey, Steve, did you know that Cassie almost got her pilot's license?"

 _"_ _No. Why didn't she finish it?_ "

"Ah, life got in the way."

_"_ _Easy enough to take care of when she gets here."_

Danny smiled to himself. "I told her you'd say that. You have a standing invitation to come out here to Virginia and visit any time, by the way."

_"_ _You been talking about me, Danno?"_

"Little bit, yeah."

 _"_ _Aw, you miss me,"_ Steve echoed back at his best friend. " _Hey, hang on a sec._ " Danny heard background noise get louder and then Steve hold the phone away and say, " _Hey guys, say hi._ "

Danny heard a chorus of " _Hi, Danny,_ " " _Howzit, bruddah_ ," " _Happy T-Day, Williams_ ," and " _Hello, Detective Williams_ " from the other end of the phone. He smiled again, not realizing how much he needed to hear his team's voices until he did. "Happy Thanksgiving, you guys." He heard the phone rustle and then Steve came back on.

" _Me, again. You really okay, partner?_ "

"Yeah, just having a moment. Not a bad moment, just a moment." Danny felt better for some reason. "It's been a good trip. And I have pictures. Not the whole boring travel slideshow, I promise, but you're going to want to see where Cassie grew up. You'll appreciate it. Or rather, you'll greatly enjoy, to my detriment, the fact that I'm spending forty-eight hours here of my own free will. And tell Kono I'm sending her one in a few minutes. And yes, you can look at it, too, since you will no matter what I tell you."

Zach walked out on the porch with two bottles of beer as Steve said, " _Sounds like there's a couple of stories there. Can't wait to hear them."_

Danny nodded at Zach and said to Steve, "Hey, you still okay with Grace staying with you tomorrow night?"

" _Yes. We'll be fine. She'll keep me out of trouble._ "

"I can't keep you out of trouble, Steven. How is my thirteen-year-old daughter going to do that?"

Danny could hear the shrug through the phone. " _I listen to her more than I do you._ "

"You know, I think that's probably true. I'm going to go now. Cassie's brother is here, and I think we're about to have the 'what are your intentions toward my sister' conversation." Zach grinned. "You know, the one you already had with Cassie."

" _You want me to talk to him?_ " Steve sounded serious and Danny knew he'd be first through that door, too, if Danny needed him to be.

"No, but thank you. We'll call you tomorrow night, okay? Happy Thanksgiving, Steve."

_"_ _Happy Thanksgiving, Danny."_

Danny slid the phone back in his pocket and accepted the bottle of beer Zach held out to him. Zach said, "Your partner?"

Danny snorted. "Yes. And my best friend and brother, all wrapped up in one pain in the ass package. But there's nobody I trust more."

"Cassie speaks highly of him. Of your whole team." Zach sighed. "She speaks pretty highly of you, too."

"Mmm-hmm. Have you run a background check yet?" Zach breathed out in a laugh, but didn't deny it. "She tell you Steve ran a check on her?" Danny asked.

"She did. I think she was trying to deter me from running one on you. Though I didn't really need to. Your task force is pretty well known, even in small town Virginia."

Danny tilted his head and winced a bit. "Why do I have a feeling that's not necessarily a good thing?"

"Eh, I think most of them are just jealous. Not everyone gets immunity, and we've heard some… interesting stories." Danny sighed and Zach studied him. "Ah. You wish there were fewer interesting stories?"

"Sometimes, yeah."

"How did you go to work for the taskforce?"

Danny snorted. "I was shanghaied." He waved a hand. "Or drafted, if you prefer. Steve's father was murdered and it was my case.' He tilted his head. "Until the governor created the task force and put Steve in charge. SuperSEAL doesn't really take no for an answer, and he, um, decided I was going to be his partner, and here we are." He saw Zach's look and jumped to the defense of his partner and team. "Don't get me wrong. It was an unusual way to start a new job, but it's the best job I've ever had and the best team I've ever worked with. We're doing good work and making a difference."

Zach nodded. "You know, you make her happy."

Danny went with the change in subject. "I try."

Cassie's brother sighed. "She's my little sister, Williams. I know just how hard it is for Jen, and while I know you will always protect Cassie, I worry about how hard this life will be for her."

Danny nodded. "I get it. The last person I would want my daughter to date is a cop. But your sister is one of the strongest people I've ever met. And I would die before I let anything happen to her."

"You know, Jen is already planning a visit to Hawaii after Cassie moves."

Danny grinned. "I kind of gathered that. You all are welcome any time."


	23. Chapter 23

Cassie got up early to spend some time with Olivia and Lucas, who were watching cartoons in the den, and Danny got up with her to spend some more time with her family.

Cassie gave Danny a slightly wicked grin when she handed him a cup of coffee before leaving the kitchen. Danny just shook his head, while Caroline watched, amused.

"You know," she said when Danny sat down with her at the table, "Cassie has always talked in detail about her work, especially when there's a launch involved."

"I've experienced that; it's kind of adorable."

Caroline laughed. "Well, then, you'll appreciate that when she called us from Hawaii, she didn't talk much about work. She barely mentioned the launch. She did, however, talk about how much she loved the island, how great the people were, meeting this awesome kid and her dad." Danny smiled at that. "Dean and I knew you were special from the beginning, and I can't tell you how happy it makes us that you found each other."

Danny ducked his head. "I already said this to Cassie's dad, but let me just say again, I feel like I'm taking Cassie away from you all, and I hate that."

Caroline patted his arm. "Danny, you're not taking her away from us. But while we're on the subject, how do you feel about parents visiting?"

Danny laughed. "Any time. Really."

Caroline smiled. "Good. Now why don't you help me put together breakfast before you two get on the road?"

Half an hour later, Danny once again wondered if Cassie had Italian somewhere in her family, because even his grandmother would have approved of the spread Caroline Wallace put out for eight people.

He'd helped her make red-eye gravy, handing her the coffee pot and watching in fascination as she poured the coffee right into the iron skillet after frying thick slices of ham in it. And after tasting it, and hearing Caroline's story about how this was a young Cassie's favorite breakfast, he'd written down instructions on how to make it.

Danny had scrambled eggs as she pulled biscuits and two kinds of muffins out of the two ovens on the kitchen wall, and then they'd both cut up fruit to round out the meal. He set the table as she made more coffee and called everyone in.

Breakfast was another lively meal, with Lucas and Olivia keeping the whole table entertained. They sat on either side of Uncle Danny and told him stories about school and their friends and all the stuff they'd show him next time he came back. Danny, in turn, told them more about Hawaii and things that Grace liked to do there.

Cassie knew he was trying to make it a familiar place for them, so that they wouldn't feel like Aunt Cassie was so far away after she moved. She caught his eye and he grinned at her when Olivia asked if he was sure that Kono would teach them how to surf. Danny pulled out his phone.

"You remember that picture your mom took of me teaching you how to stand on a board?" Olivia and Lucas both nodded. Danny showed them the response to an email he'd sent Kono, which read: _Good form, keikis! Practice your swimming, too, and you'll be ready for Auntie Kono's surf lessons when you visit!_

Below that, Cassie could read the note Kono had written to Danny: _Nicely done, brah. Glad to see you remember what I taught you._ She looked up at Danny and he shrugged, but Cassie could see that Kono's praise meant a lot to him.

Caroline started to clear the table, but Dean and Zach waved her down and did it. She and Jen stayed and listened while the kids peppered Danny with questions.

"What's keiki?" Olivia asked.

"It's Hawaiian for children. It's like when your Aunt Cassie calls you kiddo."

"Is Auntie Kono your sister?" Lucas asked, falling back on his knowledge of family relations.

Danny nodded thoughtfully. "We're not related like your dad and aunt are, but she's my ohana. In Hawaiian, ohana is your extended family; it might be people you're related to, but it also includes people you count as your chosen family, so that makes Kono like a sister to me."

Lucas nodded in comprehension. "Do you have a big ohana?" He sounded the word out slowly.

Danny exchanged a look with Cassie. "I do, actually, yeah."

Cassie could see he hadn't really thought about the number of people he considered to be like family before, and he was surprised by his answer. She jumped in to give him a second to recover. "You two will be so spoiled by the time Danny's ohana gets through with you. We'll go to luaus and learn to surf, and oh my goodness, you're going to be stuffed full of shave ice and malasadas and loco moco." She looked at her mom and sister in law. "You all are going to be spoiled, too, trust me."

"It's entirely probable that there will be swimming with dolphins," Danny managed to say. Cassie looked at him in question and he gave her a half shrug. "Steve."

"Of course," she shook her head, while the kids whispered together about dolphins and shave ice.

"Loco moco?" Zach asked, coming back to the table for more dishes.

Cassie grinned and emphasized each layer with her hands. "Rice, hamburger patty, fried egg, gravy. It's so good."

Danny gave her a mock look of despair. "Keep your loco moco, farm girl. I'll take the malasadas any day." He looked up at Zach. "Best fried dough you'll ever have."

Zach nodded. "I'm in." He looked down at the kids. "Alright you two, time to get your stuff together. We're on the road soon." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and the kids tumbled out of their chairs and raced each other to their bedroom. He looked like he was going to ask a question, but didn't.

Jen laughed at her husband while Cassie sighed and poked her big brother. "Do you want me to ask?"

Zach gave her an offended look and Caroline stood to head off any further teasing. "Girls, let's start getting your things together so the boys can carry them out to the car."

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused, immediately obeying Caroline's directive.

Danny stared after them and said to Zach, "I really need to learn how to do that."

Zach snorted. "Yeah, never gonna happen. But it's more fun that way." Danny nodded. Zach said, "I did want to ask a favor."

Danny sat up a little straighter. "Anything. What do you need?"

Zach said, "I really hope you're good with a family visit because I think that's inevitable now."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't visit, and I know Cass is already planning for it. I think she has a tentative schedule and everything."

Zach laughed, knowing that was likely true, because even though his sister wouldn't say for certain that she was moving, it was clear she was planning on it.

"And she's right, you all are going to be spoiled when you come out, so you might as well prepare for it now," Danny added.

"In that case, would it be possible for me to see how Five-0 works? Maybe do a ride along?"

Danny mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that. "Of course. I can't guarantee what kind of case we're going to have while you're there, but I can almost certainly guarantee that you'll get shot at if you go out with us." Normally, Danny wouldn't just promise something like letting Zach tag along on a case, but they'd talked shop the day before and Danny felt like he'd be comfortable with Zach at the very least sitting in at the office. He wanted Steve or Lou to clear him for any kind of tactical involvement, though.

Zach held out his hand to shake Danny's. "Thanks, man. Jen will not be happy if I spend too much time working, but I'd like to see what you all do."

Danny waved a hand. "Tell her you're bonding with your sister's boyfriend. She can't argue with that."

"Have you met my wife?" Zach asked.

* * *

Zach took over from Jen, so that Jen could talk more with Danny and Cassie before they left. She and Cassie planned video call times over Christmas, since Caroline, Dean, and Jen's parents were going to Jen and Zach's for the holiday, and talked about coming up to DC in January.

Jen also teased Danny that his open invitation for them all to come to Hawaii was going to get worn out; apparently Olivia was advocating for a trip over their school's spring break and for their summer vacation.

Danny stopped for a second when she said that and asked Jen, "When is your spring break?"

"Last week in March. Usually we send the kids here to run wild for a week and Zach and I take a few days off for couple time. But that big of a spring break trip would be tough this year."

"Summer's better. You can spend more time if you come out then." Danny looked at Cassie. "I was just thinking, that's Grace's spring break, too." He shrugged and raised his eyebrows in question.

Cassie knew he was avoiding saying that it would be a few weeks after she moved. She tilted her head and said, "You sure you want to fly back so soon?"

"I'm up for it if you are."

Jen shook her head. "You know, for two people who are trying awfully hard not to say definitely that Cassie's moving out there in three months, you sure keep making a lot of future plans."

* * *

Cassie promised her parents she'd drive back down again before her Christmas trip to Hawaii, and ran Danny's spring break idea past them, which they approved whole-heartedly.

Jen hugged her long and hard before they left, saying where the others couldn't hear, "This wasn't the time, but you're going to want to talk soon. I'll drive up without the kids and help you pack when you're ready."

Cassie knew she was referring to Danny's job and what it was like being a cop's significant other. She nodded against Jen's shoulder and said, "Thank you."

Jen squeezed her again and said, "I'm so damn happy for you."

Cassie laughed and they let each other go. Jen turned to Danny and gave him a big hug as well.

Zach shook Danny's hand and gave Cassie a hug. The siblings didn't speak, until Zach let her go and said, "Let me know when you're going to move; we'll be there to help." Cassie nodded and then there were hugs from the kids for both of them.

Danny shook Dean's hand as Cassie's dad said, "I'll get those parts in the mail for you." Danny nodded in thanks, and Dean added, "Take care of my girl, Danny."

"Yes, sir," Danny replied. Caroline hugged him, too, as Cassie said goodbye to her dad. Caroline said, "We'll see you in March, if not before then."

As he hugged Cassie, Dean said, "I'm thinking you might need a vintage convertible when you move."

Cassie laughed and hugged him harder. "I think that sounds like an excellent idea." When she went to hug her mom, Cassie felt like she wanted to cry, but Caroline pulled her close and said, "You know this will always be your home, dear heart." When Cassie nodded, she said, "We'll see you in a week or so."

* * *

It was a long-ish drive, enough time for them to both catch naps and argue over which Bon Jovi song was objectively the best. But the closer they got to New Jersey, the quieter Danny got. Cassie watched him from the passenger seat, finally saying, "You want to talk about it?"

Danny tapped the steering wheel. "I haven't been home in almost a year. And those trips were… not happy occasions, even though one of them was over Christmas."

Cassie understood. "Since you lost Matt."

Danny nodded slowly. "I don't know what it's going to be like, what to expect. My folks, you know, they're not ones to keep anything in. And they've been really quiet this past year. Like unusually quiet, for them, anyway. And losing a child is a nightmare I can imagine very well, so I get it."

Cassie watched him. "But you worry."

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I worry. And I've been so excited about coming home," he looked over at Cassie, "and about introducing you to them, that I didn't think that it might not be the best situation." He glanced ahead and then back at her again. "I apologize in advance, babe, if I get a little spun up about something while we're there."

She reached out and rubbed his arm. "I'm going to have to deploy the bad space jokes, aren't I?"

Danny waved a hand an inch off the steering wheel. "So many that you're probably going to have to call Lucas to get more."

She grinned. "I may have to come up with another way to distract you."

Danny huffed a laugh. "You distract me just by walking into the room, babe." He looked over at her and shook his head. "Don't give me that look, not when I'm driving." Cassie pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. "You know, maybe we should get a hotel room tonight instead of staying at my parents."

"Or we could just be really quiet," Cassie said reasonably.

"Ha. That is not what you said the past two nights."

"Actually, love, that was you."

Danny nodded his head to the side and said, "Okay, yes, that was me, but in my defense your parents were just down the hall." He glanced at her again and saw that she was trying not to laugh. He grinned. "Just wait. I'm going to remember this later on when you tell me it would be disrespectful."

Cassie grinned back at him and said, "Noted."

Danny looked back at the road and said thoughtfully, "Matty would have liked you."

Cassie watched him. "Tell me about him."

Danny snorted. "He would have driven you crazy. He would make these plans, and they would start out really simple, but by the time he was done, there would be twenty more people invited, the restaurant would have gone from a quiet neighborhood joint to the swankiest club in town, and there would have been a marching band involved, somehow. He'd convince you to ditch work on a Tuesday afternoon and drive into the city to play tourist, getting you on one of those stupid open top buses, and by the time the sun went down, he'd be best friends with everyone on that bus, and so would you."

Danny glanced over at her and smiled wistfully. "He would have loved being with the family this weekend, to meet you. He would have busted me in front of you so many times. And he would have taught you secret family recipes and driven you around to all the places we hung out as kids and would have been your biggest fan in the family. You would have liked him, too."

Cassie smiled. "You two as kids must have been either the terror or the delight of the neighborhood."

"Little bit of both, I think," Danny nodded. "Matty charmed everyone and I fixed things so no one got mad at him."

"I wish I could have met him."

"Yeah, me, too." Danny was quiet again, but it was a more comfortable silence, and when they got to his parents a little after seven, he was excited about being there again.

Danny's mom opened the door with a loud, happy cry and embraced her son tightly. "There he is, my darling boy."

"Hi, Mom." He hugged her back, grinning, and then said, "Okay, Mom, let go so you can meet Cassie."

Clara opened her arms to Cassie and hugged her with enthusiasm, too, saying, "Well, aren't you gorgeous? My son always did have a thing for pretty women."

Danny ran a hand over his eyes. "Really, Mom?"

"I'm complimenting her looks, Daniel. That's not allowed?"

Cassie stepped back and smiled. "It's fine, Mrs. Williams. I'm so glad to meet you."

"And I'm thrilled to meet you, too, sweetheart. Danny's barely told us anything about you."

"That's not true, Mom." Danny looked at Cassie, who looked amused, and repeated to her, "That's not true."

"Daniel, why don't you bring in your things. There's coffee in the kitchen; we'll be there when you're done." She turned and walked back inside. Cassie was going to help Danny, but he waved her inside.

When he got into the kitchen, Cassie handed him a cup of coffee. He took the moment to touch her hands, needing the contact, and murmured, "Whatever happened to me bringing you coffee?"

"I like to think our relationship is built on equality of coffee-bringing." Cassie said softly, grinning at him.

Danny laughed. "When we get home, it's my turn."

"Looking forward to it," she said.

"How was your Thanksgiving, sweetheart?" Clara said from where she was sitting at the table.

"It was great, Mom. But you mean our first Thanksgiving, right?" Danny had half-expected this, so he wasn't too surprised.

Clara shrugged. "We thought you'd be tired of Thanksgiving, so your grandmother is going to do Sunday dinner on Saturday night instead."

Danny nodded and looked at Cassie. She gave him a little shrug that said if you're okay, I'm okay. "Sounds great, Mom. Where's Pop?"

"He should be home any minute. Bridget is bringing over dinner, and Stella is on her way, too."

As she said it, they heard the front door open and a loud voice yell, "Mom?"

Clara yelled back, "In here."

Danny's sister walked into the kitchen carrying several boxes of pizza and a few bags. "Hey, big brother!" she greeted Danny after dropping the boxes and bags on the counter. They hugged and Danny left his arm around her as he turned them so he could introduce Cassie.

"Come here and meet Cassie. Cass, this is my little sister Bridget."

Cassie figured out pretty quickly that the Williams tended towards enthusiastic hugs. Stella came in while Bridget and Cassie were talking, and she gave Cassie a hug as well after saying hi to Danny. Then Danny's dad came in and the whole round of greetings started again.

Dinner was a loud, boisterous affair. Cassie couldn't help but like the entire Williams family; she would have known them anywhere as belonging to Danny. Even as multiple questions were directed her way, she still found it hard to get a word in edgewise, and she loved it.

After dinner, Danny's sisters dragged her off to the den to tell her stories about Danny, so he helped his mom clean up the table and kitchen. It didn't take long for Clara to offer her verdict. "She's a lovely girl, Danny."

"Yeah, she is. I'm glad you like her."

"I wasn't sure you'd ever find someone else after Rachel."

"You saying I'm not a catch, Mom?"

Clara patted her son's arm. "No, sweetheart. But you've never brought anyone else home, so I thought maybe you'd stopped looking. Or, you know, had hopes of getting back together with Rachel someday."

"Um, no. That ship sailed a long time ago. In fact, I think that ship sailed, was torpedoed, and sank."

Clara rolled her eyes. "At least you look happy."

"I am happy, Mom."

"That's all that matters, then."

* * *

Danny woke up early Saturday morning and watched Cassie sleep for a few minutes. When she stirred and opened her eyes, he brushed her hair off her face and said, "Morning, babe."

Cassie smiled and reached up to touch his face. "Morning, love."

"Ready for a full day of Jersey fun?"

"I am. What's on our plate first?"

Danny shifted so that he could pull her closer, her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and said, "How about laying here for a few more minutes before we go face the family?"

She grinned. "I can do that."

After enjoying a few quiet minutes, and then bickering affectionately about needing a hotel room, Cassie pulled him out of bed. "Come on, Jersey boy. I want to see your hometown."

Danny had made plans for them to meet a few of his local friends for brunch, mostly people he kept in touch with from working in Newark. Cassie loved watching him revel in being back in New Jersey.

He took her by his old haunts and a few of his favorite places. Cassie could tell there were a few places he avoided, and while she didn't know if it was because of Matt or Rachel or something else, she would occasionally lean over and kiss his cheek to make him smile.

They ran into Danny's old friends or friends of his family everywhere they went, and by the time they got back to Danny's parents to get ready for dinner, Cassie felt like she'd met half of New Jersey.

Cassie changed into a pretty blue sweater dress that set off her eyes and Danny kept getting distracted watching her get ready. She finally kissed him breathless and left him to change clothes while she took jewelry and her boots out into the family room to finish getting ready.

When Danny walked into the living room, he found Cassie and his mom sitting on the couch looking at a stack of photo albums.

Cassie looked up at him and grinned. "You were adorable as a kid."

Clara said, turning a page, "He was a beautiful baby."

Danny looked over their shoulders to see which photos they were looking at. "You really had to show her those?"

Cassie smirked. "Turnabout is fair play."

Danny nodded. "True enough." He sat next down to Cassie and corrected the record as his mom told the most embarrassing stories she could about his childhood.

Clara picked up another album and when she opened it, Danny knew which set of pictures were coming next. Although he never looked at them, he normally wasn't bothered by the fact that his mother kept them somewhere accessible. "Mom, I think we can stop there. Cassie doesn't need to see any more."

Cassie heard the tone in his voice and looked at him, puzzled. Clara waved a hand and said, "Oh, but I want to show her pictures of Grace as a baby."

"She's seen those," Danny really didn't want to see the rest of the pictures in that album.

Cassie nodded. "I have, actually. I think he showed me those on our second date." She grinned, trying to tease him out of whatever was bothering him.

Danny shook his head and held his hand out for the photo album. "Here, Mom, let me put that away."

Clara batted his hand away and said, "When I'm done with it." She flipped a page and Cassie understood what Danny didn't want her to see.

She looked at Danny and he murmured, "I'm so sorry, babe." Cassie shook her head and smiled at him, and Danny realized again just how much he loved this woman. "Nice tuxedo, Williams," was all she said.

Danny endured watching his mother show his girlfriend pictures from his wedding, and when Clara closed that album, he said, "Would you look at that. It's time to go."

Clara looked at her watch and said, "Oh, let me get your father." She jumped up and left the room.

Danny slumped against the back of the couch, thumping his head a couple of times. "I'm sorry, Cass. My mother likes weddings and for some reason she still likes to talk about mine."

She kissed his cheek. "It's fine, Danny. It's part of your life and that means there are going to be reminders. I can handle that."

Danny sat up so he could pull her in for a proper kiss. When he let her go, he found himself saying, "You know, we could give her another wedding to talk about." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to beat his head against the wall. Cassie's eyebrows went up in surprise and Danny quickly shook his head. "Forget I said that. Please. I didn't mean it." Then he realized how that sounded, so he added, "Not that you're not who I want to marry, if I were to ever do something that stupid again." And realizing how that sounded, he dropped his forehead against her shoulder, making a wordless noise of frustration. "I'm really screwing up here, aren't I?"

Cassie chuckled wryly and said, "Depends on what you're trying to do."

Danny lifted his head. "I was trying to apologize for putting you in an uncomfortable situation, but I think I'm just making it worse."

"We don't have to talk about this yet," Cassie said.

Danny shook his head. "No, we should. I can't believe I even thought that, because I'm so not ready to get married again. I don't know if I ever will be." He took a deep breath. "If that's a deal-breaker for you…"

Cassie put her hand on his cheek. "I want you; I don't need the piece of paper."

"Yeah, but you deserve it."

Cassie shook her head at him, frustrated because she could tell he was trying to talk himself out of something. "Danny, are you sticking around?"

He remembered what he'd told Jen. "Yes," he replied firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you still want me to move to Hawaii?"

"More than anything."

"Are we just casually dating, or is this something more?"

Danny studied her and then put his hand over hers. "Next to Grace, you are the most important thing in the world to me. I'm committed to you, to us; you know that."

Cassie nodded. "I do know that. Do you think I'm ever going to pressure you to get married, or leave you if you don't ever want to?"

He half smiled. "No." His smile grew. "I think you'll drop me in the cow pasture for annoying you, and then I think you'll climb the fence and sit there right next to me."

"So, what's our problem here?" She raised her eyebrows, daring him to contradict her.

He shrugged. "Problem? I don't see a problem here." He cocked his head. "Except that I'd really like to get a hotel room tonight." He turned his head and kissed her palm, then drew her arms around his neck as he pressed her back into the couch so he could kiss her again.

"You're incorrigible," Cassie said, smiling.

"I think I'm just madly in love with you, farm girl."

Cassie kissed him softly. "I love you." She grew serious again, saying, "For the record, I'm committed to us, too. And so you don't worry about it in case you ever do ask, my answer is going to be yes."

Danny rested his forehead against hers. There was so much he wanted to say, but right at that moment he didn't have the words. Cassie understood though, and kissed him in a silent reply. He cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss, pressing his body against hers.

They both heard Danny's mom say dryly, "I thought it was time to leave."

Danny groaned. "Is this going to be our thing now? Getting caught making out by our parents?"

Cassie dropped her head against his shoulder, shaking with barely contained laughter. "There does seem to be a pattern here."

Clara said brightly, "If you two are done, we really should get going."

"Did we just get scolded?" Danny asked.

"I think so," Cassie replied, still laughing.

Danny pulled her up off the couch, feeling like he'd run a marathon while dodging bullets but still won the prize at the end.

* * *

Danny's grandmother was amazing, Cassie decided about five minutes after meeting her.

Danny insisted that he and Cassie ride over separately, and while Clara was fussing over Eddie's tie, grabbed Cassie's hand and snuck out of the house. Danny walked right in, knowing that the door would be open no matter how many times he'd asked her to keep it locked.

"Nonna?" he called, heading for the kitchen.

"Daniel, is that you?"

They stepped into the kitchen and Danny held his arms out for his grandmother, who hugged her grandson with great joy. "Hi, Nonna," Danny said.

She stepped back. "Let me look at you, _nipote_." The older woman studied him and nodded, apparently approving of what she saw. "You look well, Daniel." She peered behind him at Cassie. "My guess is that this the reason why, hmm?"

Danny smiled and reached a hand out to Cassie. "It is. Nonna, this is Cassandra Wallace. Cassie, this is my grandmother, Anna Williams."

Cassie said, "Mrs. Williams, it's such a pleasure to meet you. Danny's told me so much about you."

The elderly woman greeted Cassie with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Ah, _cara_ , Daniel might have told me a thing or two about you, as well. You call me Nonna."

"Yes, ma'am." Cassie looked around the kitchen. The stove was covered in pots and pans, there was something in the oven, and at least two pans sat waiting on the counter. "It smells wonderful in here. Can I help with anything?"

"Sit down and keep an old woman company." Nonna made them sit down and put a plate of prosciutto and olives in front of them. "In case you get hungry before dinner."

Cassie looked at the pictures on the wall of the kitchen. Nonna pointed out a few, lingering over one of a distinguished looking man in an Army uniform. "My Robert, Danny's grandfather. He served in Korea."

Cassie didn't see any other pictures of him. Danny noticed her looking and added, "He, ah, didn't make it home. My dad was two years old." Cassie's eyes widened, and Danny nodded. "Nonna raised four kids on her own, including my aunt who was born right after he was sent over."

"I taught school for thirty years. I feel like I raised more than four kids!" Nonna laughed heartily.

Cassie smiled in appreciation and pointed to another picture. "That's you, right?" A much younger Anna stood in front of a fountain. "When I was a girl. My parents came to America when I was a teenager, and that was the last picture I took at the fountain in our town square."

"How did you meet your husband?" Cassie asked.

"We met at church. Robert's family had been here for a generation already, and my parents knew a cousin of theirs. We were like family already when we arrived." Nonna held a spoon out. "Come taste this, _cara_ , and tell me what you think."

Cassie joined her at the stove. Nonna handed her the spoon and after Cassie tasted it, she looked at Danny. "That's so good." She looked at Danny. "No wonder you didn't want to leave here."

Nonna laughed. "I taught Daniel how to make gravy when he was younger." She looked at her grandson in question.

Danny raised a hand. "I haven't had much chance to cook for Cassie yet."

His grandmother pointed a wooden spoon at him, but Cassie said in his defense, "We've done a lot of cooking together. We just haven't made gravy. I think."

Danny grinned. "Gravy is sauce, basically." He waved a hand. "Just don't call it sauce here."

Nonna pulled the lid off another pot. "Do you know what this is, _cara_?"

Cassie looked in the pot. "If we were a few hundred miles south, I'd say yes. But I know it's not grits here."

Danny's grandmother smiled. "Polenta."

Cassie looked at everything on the stove and then looked back at Danny. "Why haven't you cooked for me more?"

Danny snorted. "Trust me, there's a lot of this in your future."

Nonna nodded. "When he was seventeen, I taught him how to make ravioli in order to impress a girl."

"Was she impressed?" Cassie asked.

Danny tilted his head and pursed his lips. "Not really, but then she had her own Italian grandmother." Cassie grinned at him and he waved a hand. "You two would get along, and she would definitely tell you some stories. We should stop off in Chicago sometime and I'll introduce you to Lisa."

"She was in some of the pictures your mom showed me, right?"

Danny nodded. "From senior prom, yeah. We pretty much grew up together; dated some our senior year. Her dad was the reason I became a cop."

Nonna held out another spoon of something to Cassie for her to taste and said, "My Daniel tells me you work with rockets?"

"Oh good lord, that's good." Cassie wiped a bit that had dripped on her chin. "Yes, ma'am. Well, near rockets. Right now, I run a program at NASA Headquarters."

"She tests spaceships that are going to Mars."

"One day, maybe." Cassie took a look inside the pot. "Nonna, would you teach me how to make some of this?"

"Of course, dear girl."

Cassie kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You want to cook something to impress me, NASA?" Danny smirked at her from the table.

Cassie laughed. "Maybe we need a barter system. I'll cook you my mother's recipes if you'll cook me your grandmother's."

"Sounds like the foundation of a beautiful relationship," Nonna said.

Danny stood up as he heard his parents and sisters come in the front door. "I agree," he said.

* * *

There was more family at dinner, and Cassie lost track of all the aunts and uncles and cousins Danny introduced her to. There was one long table that stretched from the dining room through the living room, and Nonna oversaw all of it, only letting the kids help set the table and carry food in.

Danny loved seeing his family and Cassie couldn't help but smile every time she looked at him. She wished they could stay longer, and when she said that to Danny, he kissed her and laughed, and told her he'd had the same thought when they were at her parents. They decided a New Jersey visit would definitely be added to spring break.

As they left, Nonna embraced Cassie and said, "Take care of Daniel, _stellina_. And let him take care of you. Come see me again soon." Cassie hugged her and promised.

Danny explained in the car, " _Stellina_ is little star. It's a term of affection. Like _cara_ is dear one." He smirked at her. "I think it's her way of calling you NASA in Italian."

Instead of heading back to his parents' house, Danny took her to a park overlooking the river and the New York City skyline. Cassie grinned at him and asked if he was taking her parking, like they were in high school, and Danny laughed as they got out of the car.

"I just wanted a chance to look at the view. But if you want to engage in other activities while we're here, babe, who am I to say no?" He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her close.

They sat out in the cold for a few minutes, but soon headed back to the car. Danny turned pensive and Cassie turned in her seat so she could watch him. He finally looked over and said, "I'm okay, love."

She nodded. "I like watching you think, but if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Danny looked at her. "You like to watch me think?"

"Mmm-hmm. I know everyone thinks you say everything that pops into your head, but you don't. You analyze everything, and it's fascinating to watch." His eyebrows went up in surprise, and she wrinkled her nose in that expression he found adorable. "Honestly, it's kind of hot," she added.

His eyes got wider. "Watching me think is hot?"

Cassie nodded slowly. "Yeah?"

Danny said, "Come here, you," and reached out to cup his hand around the back of her neck. He kissed her lightly. "Thank you."

Cassie gave him a questioning look. "For what?"

"Today. For letting me drag you all over and introduce you to so many people."

"It was fun, Danny. You're so much a part of this place, I loved seeing it through your eyes." When he didn't answer, she tilted her head. "Is that what you've been thinking about?"

Danny nodded. "I love this place. But all day, I kept thinking that I've been homesick for a place that isn't really home anymore, not like it used to be. And I keep thinking about you making a home in Hawaii and how comfortable you are with that idea, and I wish I was more like you." He sighed.

Cassie took his hand and squeezed it. "This is always going to be your home, love. You carry it with you, so a little bit of it is everywhere you go."

"Yeah, maybe sometimes too much. When I moved, I wanted to keep doing everything like I'd done it here. And then I met Steve, and Chin and Kono. And they became family and then Hawaii became home, sort of." Danny gave her a look. "And if you ever tell Steve I referred to Hawaii as home…"

"I'll be the one in the cow pasture, right?" Danny gave her a little smirk, and Cassie reached out to take his hand. "Your secret's safe with me."


	24. Chapter 24

Cassie slipped out of bed without waking Danny up the next morning so he could sleep some more, heading downstairs where she could hear someone in the kitchen.

Clara was pouring coffee and got another cup when she saw Cassie. Clara watched the younger woman as they sat down. Danny had surprised them all when he'd said he was bringing someone home with him; she knew he'd dated other women, a couple of them even seriously, but this one was unexpected. "My son is very happy, you know," she said.

If Cassie was thrown off by this opening, she didn't show it. "I hope so. I know I am."

Clara nodded. "He doesn't find it easy to be happy. Even as a little boy, he spent more time worrying instead of just enjoying things."

Cassie thought before she spoke. "It's because he worries that he's so good at what he does, and why he's able to take care of the people he loves."

"Including you?" Clara asked the question mildly, but still hopeful.

Cassie smiled and took a sip of coffee. "Including me. He's a good man and I'm so lucky we found each other." She wanted to reassure Danny's mother, so she reached out and put her hand over Clara's. "Meeting Danny is one of the best things to ever happen to me."

Clara squeezed her hand. "It's a long way between DC and Honolulu. How are you two going to make that work?"

Cassie said, "Being together means being in the same place, so we're talking about that."

"Hawaii is a lovely place," Clara said, raising her eyebrows and hoping for agreement.

Cassie laughed. "It is. It wouldn't be a hardship for me to live there."

Clara sighed. "Danny says he doesn't like it, but I think it's grown on him." Cassie didn't confirm or deny that, just smiled and drank her coffee. Clara said, "When he first moved out there, I thought well, he'll come home after Grace goes to college, but now I don't know."

Cassie drank more coffee and then said noncommittally, "I know it's tough when kids move that far away."

"He really enjoyed staying with you, it seems. He liked learning his way around DC." Clara gave her an expectant look, like she wanted Cassie to tell her if Danny liked DC better than New Jersey.

"It's been nice having him there. And it was great to introduce him to my parents, too."

Clara narrowed her eyes a bit, realizing Cassie wasn't going to speak to Danny's mindset one way or the other. There was a chuckle from the doorway and Danny said, "If you want to know if I'm coming back to Jersey, Mom, you'll have to ask me."

Clara tossed her head. "Well, I thought you might be considering moving to DC now if you ever left Hawaii."

Danny touched Cassie's shoulder briefly but meaningfully as he walked by her said, "Morning, love." He kissed his mother's cheek and said, "Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning, sweetheart." Clara stood to get him coffee.

Danny waved her down. "I've got it. Don't let me interrupt this fascinating conversation." He smirked at Cassie when she gave him a reproachful look.

"Cassie and I were just talking about how lovely Hawaii is. And how she'd be happy living there."

Danny just let it go, only saying, "Hawaii would happy with her living there." He leaned against the counter. Changing the subject, he said, "I was thinking we could do breakfast before we have to leave."

Clara, deciding that was as much an answer as she was going to get, agreed.

* * *

By the time they got back to Cassie's on Sunday night, the reality that Danny was leaving in a few days had set in. Cassie didn't want to talk about it, instead focusing on the fact that she'd be in Hawaii soon.

They packed a couple of last-minute sightseeing stops into Monday. Danny would have been fine if they'd done nothing but sit on the couch and watch TV together, but it seemed important to Cassie to take him to a few of her favorite places, so he gladly went along with her.

He'd suggested getting together with her friends for dinner that evening, and Kate offered to host the whole group at her condo.

Danny watched Cassie get ready with a mixture of appreciation and amusement. She couldn't find the earrings she wanted to wear and her hair was still damp, so she was digging through drawers in the bathroom with one hand while holding onto the hair dryer with the other. She was also dressed only in a black bra and matching boy short panties, which Danny couldn't help but admire.

He'd forgotten what it was like to live with a woman.

It was nice. It was better than nice; it was pretty damn fantastic.

He leaned against the door frame and said, "Can I help?"

She flipped the hair dryer switch off and set it down. "I'm so sorry I'm running late. Give me five more minutes."

Danny gave her a long look. "Don't rush on my account, babe. I'm enjoying the show."

She gave him a look and he just raised his eyebrows mildly. She tried not to smile and Danny closed the distance between them and put his hands on her hips. "You know," he said in that low, raspy voice that sent shivers through her, "we could just skip dinner."

She slid her hands up over his shoulders. "You said you wanted to see me in that dress again."

He tilted his head from side to side. "Actually, I said I wanted to see you out of that dress." he tapped one hip with his thumb. "This definitely qualifies."

She tried not to smile. "Mmm-hmm. You said you wanted to do dinner tonight so we could spend some more time with my friends." She ran one hand lightly over his neck and traced the open collar of his shirt. "Besides, I'd like a chance to admire you all dressed up."

"You like the suit, huh?"

She nodded. "I kind of have a thing about a white dress shirt and black suit. And on you? Definitely a thing."

He pursed his lips. "Good to know." He smoothed the front of his shirt. "Do I need a tie?" he asked, and Cassie heard a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"No," she answered seriously. "It's not that formal of a dinner. And you look great." He still didn't look sure, so she added, "Besides. If you wear a tie, there's something I can't do." He gave her a questioning look, and she tilted her head. "Well, something I can't fantasize about doing during dinner."

Looking far more interested, Danny said, "And what would that be?"

"This," she said, and ran her fingers under his collar, moving his shirt so she could lean forward and kiss him on the neck just above his collarbone. Danny grabbed the edge of the counter behind her to brace himself, and decided that they were definitely going to dinner, but they were also definitely going to be late.

* * *

Once again, Danny thought how much he enjoyed spending time with Cassie's friends. They spent most of the evening talking about movies and sports and books, and Danny answered plenty of questions about where to go and what to do in Hawaii.

He noticed more than once that Cassie had opinions on those questions, too, and several times she knew an answer to something he didn't, like the best place to do breakfast in downtown Honolulu or when certain museums were open.

He realized some of that information was what she knew from her trip out there, but it wasn't lost on Danny that she'd also been doing some research. It wasn't lost on her friends, either. Kate found him in the kitchen getting another drink and said, "So, is it better to plan my visit to see you and Cassie during summer or winter?"

They got home from dinner and Cassie started doing chores around the apartment. Danny tried to get her to sit down and relax, but she wanted to take care of a few projects, so he sat at the kitchen bar and talked about their plans for Christmas while she put things away and cleaned up.

Danny thought Cassie was being unusually quiet about their holiday plans, mostly agreeing to whatever he said. He didn't think she was upset, but she was definitely distracted.

Cassie felt like her skin was too tight and she couldn't stay still. Her apartment didn't feel comfortable, didn't feel like home. Though to be fair, it had always felt temporary. She'd lived a few places in the eight years she'd been in the area and none of them had ever really felt like home.

Cassie knew why those places hadn't felt like home now; she'd been missing someone she hadn't met yet.

She wasn't sure why she was so restless right then. It wasn't Danny. She didn't mind that they were sharing a small space, and it wasn't that she was questioning anything about their relationship. But she couldn't be still. She put things away and moved things around, all with that little wrinkle in her forehead that meant she was fretting over something.

Danny, watching her from the other side of the bar, decided he couldn't take it anymore. He walked into the kitchen, and put his arms around her. He stroked her hair and held her until she settled down. He said, "Tell me what's wrong, babe." When she didn't answer, he asked, "Is it having me here? Too much time together?"

"No!" She held on tighter. "No, I'm so happy you're here. It's just…" Danny had fit in great with her friends, and she loved introducing him to the city and her hometown and all her East coast family. And she'd had so much fun meeting his Jersey family. It had been an amazing week and a half. And now Danny was talking about all the things they had planned and it was great, but she was tired, and really all she wanted was...

Danny pulled back so he could see her face, and brushed her hair back. "What, love? Talk to me."

"I keep thinking that I want to go home." It hit her all at once, even though it wasn't a surprise decision, not really.

Danny was taken aback by her declaration, but nodded. "You want to drive down and see your folks again? We can do that."

She dropped her forehead onto his chest and all he heard was a muffled, "No. Home. Honolulu. It's been an amazing couple of weeks, but I miss Hawaii and I'm ready to go home."

He went still. She lifted her head and gave him a weak smile. "I know I'm supposed to wait four months."

"Screw four months. Hawaii is home?"

"Well, yeah. You're there. Grace is there. Steve, Chin, Kono, Lou… I miss everyone. I miss the…"

She didn't get to finish that sentence because Danny had his mouth pressed against hers and all she could do was kiss him back.

When he finally broke to take a breath, he said, "For the record, I knew it wouldn't be four months."

She poked him in the chest. "You wanted six."

"I wanted you to tear up your plane ticket."

She put her hand on his cheek and said softly, "You wanted me to be sure."

Danny placed his hand over hers, and Cassie curled her fingers so that his hand folded around hers. "I still want you to be sure."

"I am. Moving to Hawaii is the right thing for me."

Danny studied her, searching her eyes for any doubt, but all he saw was a calm certainty. All the restlessness had gone out of her. He nodded and kissed her again. "Okay, then. Let's go home."

* * *

The next morning, Cassie turned in her resignation letter. Danny met her to take her to an early lunch; she was sitting on a bench outside her building in the chilly sun waiting for him. He sat down there next to her and when she held out her hand, he took it and gave her an anchor to hold on to.

Cassie took him to one of her favorite food trucks, and they sat outside in spite of the temperature. Danny enjoyed the cold, and Cassie enjoyed watching him.

He listened as she talked quietly about her work, understanding that she wasn't unhappy with her decision, just processing it out loud.

Cassie hadn't planned on working that day, since Danny was leaving the next day, but she wanted to tell a few people that she was leaving before the word got out, as well as figure out what she needed to start wrapping up.

While she went back to her office, Danny made a few phone calls and pulled together some information. He also planned to make two important phone calls, but when he called Grace, he got his partner, too.

" _Hi, Danno_ ," Grace answered her phone, and then Danny heard, " _Hi, Danno,"_ in Steve's voice echoing her. He looked at his watch and said, "Hi, Monkey. Can you put me on speaker?"

 _"_ _Sure, Danno."_ Grace said.

"Everything okay?" Danny wasn't sure why Steve was taking Grace to school.

_"_ _Charlie and Mom are both sick, so I stayed with Uncle Steve last night so I wouldn't get sick, too. He's taking me to school."_

Danny nodded and said, "Thank you, Uncle Steve."

_"_ _No problem, partner. Everything okay there? Didn't expect to hear from you today."_

"I talk to my daughter every day, Steven."

_"_ _Yeah, but you don't normally call her on her way to school."_

Danny shook his head. "Normally, I would be delighted to argue with you about this, but I've got more important things to do."

_"_ _More important than argue with me?"_

"Believe it not, yes." He took a deep breath. "Steve, I didn't bring much with me when I moved, so I didn't need to ship anything big. Do you know of a good company that handles moves to Oahu?"

There was a pause from the other end of the phone and Danny could imagine the shared look happening. He could also imagine the silent debate over who was going to ask. His money was on Grace.

Sure enough, his daughter said _, "Danno, does this mean Cassie's definitely moving here?"_

"As a matter of fact, it does."

There was a squeal of delight as Steve asked, _"What happened to four months?"_

Even though they couldn't see him, Danny grinned. "According to her, she's ready to go home."

_"_ _That's good news, brother."_

'Yeah, it is. She gave work her notice this morning."

Steve knew that, even being happy about the prospect of moving, leaving the job wouldn't be easy for Cassie. _"How's she doing?"_ he asked.

"Ah, she's about as can be expected. I'm doing some research for her while she's at work so we can talk plans tonight, maybe take her mind off that."

 _"_ _You should cook for her, Danno,"_ Grace said.

"That is an excellent idea. I'm going to make her one of Nonna's recipes."

Grace sounded pleased. _"She'll like that."_

Steve said, _"I'll get you the names of a few movers and anything else I can think of that she might need."_

"Thanks, babe. I'll talk to you before I get on the plane tomorrow. Can't wait to see you both when I get home."

* * *

When Cassie got home that evening, her apartment smelled like Nonna's. Sure enough, Danny was at the stove cooking.

"Honey, I'm home," she said, grinning as she dropped her purse onto the couch and then walked into the kitchen.

Danny grinned back and held up a spoon. "Here, taste this."

She did, and then nodded enthusiastically. "Consider me impressed," Cassie said.

"Good." He gave her a light kiss. "And hello. Told you I was planning to cook for you soon."

Cassie said, "Careful, I could get used to this."

"And now you've discovered my nefarious plan," Danny said.

Cassie took the spoon out of Danny's hand, set it down, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked into his eyes and said, "Thank you."

Danny nodded, his eyes crinkling with a smile, knowing she meant more than just his cooking. "You're welcome." His phone rang and he let her go to answer it. "Hey, Steve. What's up?" He listened for a minute, then said, "Okay, we'll do that." He hung up the phone and gave Cassie a puzzled look. "Your front desk is going to call in a minute so you can let someone in."

"A Steve-approved someone?"

"My partner is up to something." Cassie's phone rang. She answered it and gave the okay to let their visitor up. By the time they heard the knock, they were both more than curious. Danny opened the door to find a genially smiling man in a Navy uniform holding a bag.

He held out a hand and said, "I'm Robbie Santiago. McGarrett and I served together back in the day, but since I'm at the Pentagon now, he asked me to drop off something for you."

Danny shook Robbie's hand. "Knowing McGarrett, I'm almost afraid to ask what's in the bag."

Cassie nudged Danny aside so she could say hello, also shaking Robbie's hand after he handed the bag to Danny. "Would you like to come in?"

"Thanks, no. My wife is waiting in the car."

Danny pulled a bottle out of the bag and looked at Robbie in question. "Steve picked this out?"

"No, man," Manny laughed. "McGarrett doesn't know shit about wine, but he knows how to call in the experts. My wife is a sommelier, so that bottle of bubbly is approved by her and should go nicely with your dinner tonight. It needs another fifteen minutes or so in the fridge to cool, then keep the bottle on a little bit of ice while you drink it." He looked at Cassie. "Congrats on your move to Hawaii. I was stationed at Pearl for a couple of years before I became a SEAL. You'll love it there."

"Thank you," Cassie said. "And please thank your wife."

Danny shook the SEAL's hand again, still a bit stunned at what his partner had done. "Hey, thank you."

Manny lifted a hand and walked down the hallway to the elevator as Cassie shut the door and Danny walked into the kitchen to put the bottle in the refrigerator.

Danny was going to call Steve, but before he could, Cassie's phone dinged with a text: _All jokes about you improving my partner's temperament aside, I'm thrilled you're moving here. Celebrate tonight; tomorrow we'll start planning logistics._

Followed a few seconds later by a text on Danny's phone: _You're welcome. Talk tomorrow._

They looked at each other and Cassie finally shook her head. "Why do I have this feeling that Steve will be coming with you in January to oversee my move?"

* * *

After dinner, Danny showed her the results of his afternoon of research. He'd made her a checklist of things to do before she moved, and things he wished he'd known before moving there. He'd deliberately included silly things like "The ocean is on the left. And the right." to make her laugh.

They talked about a timeline. Cassie already had plane tickets to go out the week before Christmas, which was really only two weeks away. Danny offered to change his ticket for the next day so he could help her pack and she could move over Christmas, but since she needed to finish out work, too, they decided it was better for her to come out for Christmas and then Danny would come back with her in January to pack and finish the move.

Cassie said, "I'll call Linda tomorrow and see if she's got time to chat when I get there."

"You going to talk to her about job leads?" Danny knew that the CIT director would be delighted to have Cassie there, and would be a tremendous help with her job hunt.

"Mmm-hmm. I'm going to call Kono, too."

"About jobs?" Danny sounded confused.

"No," Cassie smiled. "Apartments. She offered to help me look when I was ready."

"You gonna ask my opinion on that, too?"

She patted his chest. "Of course. I figured you'd have some strong opinions about where I live."

Danny had been reluctant to bring up living arrangements, and it took him a while to figure out why. He was asking Cassie to move all that way, primarily for him. And he didn't want her to live in some random apartment across town; he wanted her with him all the time. And although he was certain Grace would be happy to have Cassie live with them, it wasn't that easy.

Cassie watched an internal debate play out on his face and said, worry in her voice, "It's too soon, isn't it? I should have waited the four months."

"No," Danny took her hands. "It's not too soon. I've just been… trying not to get ahead of myself. Because I could spend hours thinking about you moving to Hawaii, and I didn't want to do that without making those plans _with_ you. But I didn't want to pressure you or make you think I was pushing the timeline, especially since it was my idea in the first place."

He took a breath, still thinking. "I don't want you to live somewhere else. I'm selfish. What we've had while I've been here? I want this, back at home." He ran a hand over his head. "But I also have a daughter, and while I think she would be thrilled to have you there all the time, I don't know what her mother is going to say. And that's not fair to you, but I don't want to put Grace through another custody battle."

"I'm fine getting an apartment. I'm pretty fond of sharing space with you, but I'm not opposed to getting my own place. Maybe I'll get some place closer to the Palace so that it's easier for you to get to when Grace isn't home."

Danny thought about it, and it wasn't a terrible idea. "Okay, but I get to check out any landlords first."

* * *

It wasn't any easier getting on a plane to leave than it was watching her get on a plane. Danny held her close outside the security lines, trying to take comfort in the fact that it wouldn't be long before he saw her again.

He was carrying extra luggage this time, too. Cassie had sent him back with some of her things, and just like when she had left things at his house, it was a tangible reminder that she'd be with him again soon. She'd told him she was going to ship a few things for the holidays, too, instead of carrying everything out on the plane, which Danny knew meant that she was already packing for the move in her head, and figuring out what she needed where.

Danny promised to call when he got in, and for the first time in seven years, actually looked forward to the trip home.


	25. Chapter 25

Once Danny's plane was off the ground, Cassie went home and called her parents and then she called Jen and Zach. The rest of her week was filled with starting to plan for a work transition; she'd told them she would stay on officially until right after the holidays even though a lot of that time would be on leave.

Jen drove up that weekend to help her plan and pack, and to talk about being part of a cop's life.

"Are you taking all your furniture with you?" Jen asked, going through sheets and towels to see what needed to be packed and what could be tossed or given away.

Cassie nodded. "I think so. I'll know more after I find an apartment."

"Have you picked some areas to look?"

"Kono has some neighborhoods in mind, and she's going to set up a few appointments when I get into town. I'd love to live downtown, but she says it's so expensive, I'd be better off a little farther out. I think rents can't be much worse than downtown DC, but we'll see."

"I think you should get an apartment on the beach," Jen said.

"With a guest suite for you?" Cassie asked pointedly and Jen shrugged unapologetically. "I'll see what I can do," Cassie said, tossing a towel at her. "I know I haven't even left yet, but I'm already looking forward to you all visiting."

"Me, too, and not just because I finally get my exotic tropical vacation. I can't wait to meet Danny's friends. Your friends, now."

Cassie smiled thinking about it. "You're going to love them. I suppose it's too much to hope you can come out every year, but you know you're welcome there any time, right?"

Jen stopped and reached out to hug her sister-in-law. "I know. And you always have a home on this side of the country." She let Cassie go and added, "And I'm so glad you have a support system already out there. What you're doing… Cass, I think Danny is a great guy and he is perfect for you. I'm so happy that you're so happy. But there are going to be times when life will suck. When he's gone for three days in a row, maybe making it home to fall in bed for two hours before he's gone again. Hearing something on the news, or a concerned call from a neighbor, and not knowing if he's involved or not. When he leaves in the middle of dinner or a party or a movie. Again."

Cassie studied Jen and asked a question she'd never thought to ask the woman who married her big brother and who was like a sister to her. "Is it worth it?"

Jen nodded slowly, but firmly. "Yes. I wouldn't choose any other kind of life, or anyone else to live it with." She grinned at Cassie. "And even when it's tough and scary, you're going to be happy. That man is crazy in love with you."

Cassie bit her lip and then smiled. "I know."

"Good thing you're head over heels for him, too."

Cassie's smile turned into a full-blown grin. "I know."

* * *

Danny had been putting off having this conversation, because he didn't know how to do this, but with Cassie's decision to move, it was time. He was worried she wouldn't meet with him in person, but he felt like he needed to talk to her that way. It wasn't until he'd been home a full week that their schedules matched up, and in spite of the fact that they were in the middle of a case, he took the time out to make the meeting happen.

He wrapped his hands around the coffee cup, not so much for the warmth, but as a reminder of Cassie. Funny how he'd never be able to think of the drink without thinking of her now. He smiled to himself and, in thinking about her, lost his nervousness. A voice saying his name startled him out of his thoughts.

"Daniel?" He looked up and Rachel stood there. She sat down and said, "Are you alright? You looked lost in thought."

He nodded. "Thanks for coming." He looked toward the counter. "Do you want some tea or something?"

"No, thank you. I can't stay long."

Of course. Danny a deep breath. "I wanted to let you know something."

Rachel studied him. "Is it about why you went to DC for two weeks?"

"It is, actually. Or rather, it's about who I went to see."

"You're seeing someone." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I am. She lives in DC now, but she's planning on moving out here in January."

She stared at him for a moment. "It sounds serious."

Danny nodded. "It is."

"And where will she be staying when she moves out here?"

"We're still talking about that."

"Daniel, it's not that I object to you having a girlfriend, but I'd prefer my daughter not be there when she's staying over."

Danny bit his tongue instead of responding to the first part of what Rachel said, focusing on the second piece. "She won't be staying over," Danny used air quotes around the words. "If - when - we move in together, it will be her home as well."

"So she'll be your live-in girlfriend?"

Danny sighed internally. "You know, Rachel, I'm not going to discuss the legal status of my relationships with you. It doesn't matter."

"I think it does. I don't think it's good for Grace to be living with an unmarried couple."

"Hmmm. Well, I checked our custody agreement - ran it past a lawyer just to be sure I was reading everything correctly - and there's nothing in there that says anything about that." He leaned forward and tried not to raise his voice. "Look, this is a courtesy notice, Rachel; I'm giving you heads up because that is the right thing to do here. There's someone else in my life, and she is a permanent fixture, which means she's also part of Grace's life now. And for the record, Grace likes her." He tapped the table to make his point. "You're probably going to meet her sooner rather than later, and, believe it or not, I'm trying to make that easier for both of you, because I know exactly what that feels like."

Rachel hesitated, then said, "Grace has met her?"

Danny breathed out in an awkward laugh. "Grace introduced us." He wasn't terribly surprised that Grace hadn't mentioned Cassie to her mother, at least not in the context of being Danny's girlfriend. His daughter could be just as protective of him as he was of her.

Rachel tried to cover her surprise. "Be that as it may, I am concerned."

Danny waved a hand. "Fine. Be concerned. But it doesn't change anything."

Rachel wrapped up their conversation quickly after that, confirming holiday times for Grace and the leaving in a hurry. Danny wasn't sure what she was going to do, and he didn't care. There was really only one person he wanted to talk to, but she was in a meeting, so he sent a quick text. He knew she'd call or text if she could, and his phone dinged a second later with a text: _Love you, wish I were there with you. Talk to you as soon as I'm out of this budget review._

The utter normalcy of her message made Danny feel better. He headed back to the office knowing that everything was going to be fine.

* * *

Steve stuck his head in Danny's office. "Hey, how'd it go?"

"Ah, not especially well, thanks for asking."

"Sorry, partner." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Let me take your mind off it. We've got a lead."

He gathered them all in the bullpen and went over what they knew. "Duke just called. HPD received reports of someone with a gun at the big outdoor store on Kalia Avenue. They're doing a big event there today with demonstrations and classes, so at first people thought he was one of the guys teaching hunting safety."

"HPD checked it out just in case and sent us this photo. One of the officers responding to the call thought he looked like the description we gave them this morning for our suspect." Kono flicked the image onto the big screen.

"That does look like our guy," Danny said. They'd gotten the description from a witness to a shooting the night before, but this was the first solid lead they had on the actual person.

Kono nodded. "His name is Theo Anderson. Flew in two days ago, apparently following his wife and son. He's wanted in Nebraska for running a major drug ring. According to the FBI, his wife witnessed him in the murder of two of his rivals. She went to the cops, but instead of accepting protection, she ran." She flicked another image onto the screen.

Steve picked up the thread. "She's not doing a good job of hiding. This is her coming into Honolulu International last week, and she's registered at a hotel under her maiden name."

"Where's the hotel?" Chin asked.

Steve said pointedly, "Down the street from the store he's at now."

Lou said, "What are we waiting on then? Let's go get him."

* * *

Chin could tell that Danny was more agitated than usual. As they packed up gear, Chin asked, "Bad morning?"

Danny looked up, startled out of deep thought. "Ah, kind of, yeah. I had coffee with Rachel this morning." He paused. "Well, I had coffee. She sat there and judged me."

Chin nodded knowingly. "You told her about Cassie moving here."

"I did, and I got "Daniel, my daughter shouldn't see unmarried couples being happy and living together.""

Chin looked puzzled. "I thought Cassie was getting her own apartment."

"She is." Danny shrugged. "Maybe. For now."

"You're thinking about getting a place together?" When Danny didn't answer, Chin studied him and slowly grinned. "Whatever happened to find a woman you hate and buy her a house?"

Danny held up a hand. "No. Cass and I talked about her getting an apartment. She didn't assume she'd be doing anything else. It makes sense, she's good with that. But I don't actually want her living anywhere else. So my...thoughtfulness," he gave Chin a pointed look, "is just me working that out in my head. Trust me, I am not thinking about… that."

Chin grinned at his friend's thought process and his professed aversion to getting married. "Why not?"

"I made a mess of things the first time I tried it. What's to say I won't screw things up again?"

"Danny, you're one of the bravest men I know. Don't let the little things - like pride - get in the way of being with her. There's never enough time and you don't want to waste a second of it." He clapped Danny on the back and headed out.

* * *

By the time the team arrived, the scene at the store had gone from watchful to chaos. HPD had quietly begun evacuating the store, but when he saw what was happening, their suspect started firing at people. They had injuries on site, though fortunately no one had been killed yet.

Duke met them with the news that there were people in the building, but they weren't sure if they were hostages, or people trapped or unwilling to move. He also had the bad news that some people who escaped the building said the shooter had what looked like big grenades with him.

The team fanned out in a semi-circle to approach the building. They could see Anderson moving on a covered patio on the second floor, but couldn't get a clear shot.

Kono was looking for a sniper position, but there wasn't anything good. The parking lot was fairly large and flat, and none of the close buildings had good lines of sight.

The team advanced, hoping to get inside. HPD had set up a perimeter, so if Anderson escaped the building, they would catch him that way.

Suddenly, a blast shook the building. Everyone took cover, and as the smoke cleared Steve tried to get eyes on what had happened. "That was a bomb," he yelled to the rest of the team.

"You think?" Danny shouted over the cacophony of car and building alarms and people yelling.

Another blast shook the building, this time from a different part of the building.

Steve pointed up at the top of the building, where there the windows had been shattered and parts of two walls had blown out, and then at the damage on the second floor.

Lou shouted, "He's moving a lot. He must have planted the first one and run downstairs."

The smoke and the noise cleared a bit; Kono pointed a finger up by her ear. "Listen."

Steve nodded. "No shooting. Blast may have taken him out." He made eye contact with his team. "Let's go."

They all moved forward carefully but quickly. The three-story building appeared mostly stable, though the end of the building where the blasts were centered looked far less so.

Danny heard something to his left and peered through the settling dust. He saw a kid stumble out of a side door. "Shit. Steve!" Danny yelled for his partner, who was off to his right. The boy, probably about ten, saw Danny and ran toward him. Danny caught the kid and said, "Hey buddy, it's okay. I've got you. It's okay now. Was there anyone else inside with you?"

The kid clung to him and nodded. "My class is here. They're all inside."

Danny patted his back and realized that there was smoke billowing out the door behind the kid, bad enough that it obscured the rest of his team. He said into the radio, "Steve! I've got kids on this end of the building." He looked up at the side of the building, where he could see flames at the top of the building. "And fire. The blasts must have started a fire."

Steve's voice in his ear said, "Danny, can you…" and then more shots rang out. Danny heard Steve cursing, then, "How the hell is he still alive?"

"Crazy is hard to kill," Lou said dryly.

Danny could hear other calls for help from the building. "There are people in this side of the building," he told the team.

Kono added, "I've got them, too."

Danny looked down at the kid and knelt down so he could see him better, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, buddy. Where exactly is the rest of your class inside the building? Can you tell me?"

The kid looked terrified but nodded. "We were hiding under the stairs at the end of the hall. Miss Myers told us to stay there and be quiet. But then there was a bang and I got scared and ran."

"She did the right thing, buddy. So did you. Now I need you to do one more thing for me, okay?" Danny pointed off to where he could see the fire trucks. "Can you run over there? There are people who will take care of you while I get the rest of your class out of the building. Can you do that for me?" The kid nodded, and Danny patted him on the back and sent him running. Danny moved toward the building, noticing the smoke was getting thicker. "I'm on the west end of the building, headed toward the stairwell. There's a bunch of kids and their teacher there," he told his team.

"Be careful, Danny," Steve called.

Danny rolled his eyes. That was the pot calling the kettle right there. He moved into the building, carefully, half listening to the radio calls. Kono was shepherding a group of people outside while Lou cleared the building behind her. Chin and Steve kept looking for the shooter, who had moved down to the second floor and was hiding behind something at the top of the main staircase. As Danny ran across people, he pointed them out of the building while he headed for the back staircase.

As he approached the concrete staircase, Danny called out quietly, "Miss Myers? I'm Detective Danny Williams. I found one of your students outside."

A hand appeared from behind a stack of boxes. "We're here."

Danny hurried forward and found about fifteen kids huddled with three adults behind storage cabinets and boxes stacked behind and under the stairs. He holstered his gun and held out a hand to the teacher, who was sitting on the floor, a t-shirt wrapped around her bleeding leg.

He knelt down beside her. "Okay, we need to get you all out of here. Can you walk?"

"I think so," she said. Danny put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving just yet. He turned to the kids, still kneeling so they could see him.

"You guys picked a really exciting day to take a field trip, huh?" He made his voice sound relaxed and just a bit cheerful. A couple of the kids smiled and a couple of them nodded, eyes wide. "Well, some of my friends are just outside. They came for the excitement, too, and they have really cool fire trucks and ambulances and all sorts of vehicles with loud sirens and big flashing lights. You guys want to see those?" More of the kids nodded and Danny clapped his hands together. "Alright then."

He looked over his shoulder at the teacher. "Other than one kid, is everyone here?" She nodded. He pointed at one of the adults. "Help me get her up."

They got Miss Myers to stand, and found she could walk if she leaned on someone. "Okay, then. Here's what I need you all to do. Everybody grab the hand of the person behind you and the person in front of you." He gave them all a silly look. "And don't talk to me about cooties. We have suspended the cooties rule for the duration of our walk outside." A few of the kids giggled. "We're going to walk down the hall and out the door. And when we get outside, you're going to run toward the fire trucks. Got it?"

One girl raised her hand and asked, "What about the bad man?"

Danny looked at the teacher and she added, "We heard the shots."

Danny nodded. "Well, some of my other friends," he tapped his earpiece so the kids could see he was talking to other adults out there, "are taking care of the bad man. They have that covered, so our job is to get out of the building." The girl nodded at him, reassured.

He got the kids and adults in line and led them out into the hall. In spite of knowing Steve and Chin had the shooter covered, he wasn't taking any chances, so he cleared the hall as the group moved. "Steve, I've got eighteen people here, headed out the side door."

"Copy that, Danny."

Another blast shook the building. It felt different - and closer - than the first two, but Danny thought that might be because he was inside the building this time, which was a place he really, really did not want to be. Not again.

"You might want to move faster," Steve said.

"You think?" Danny snapped back. A few of the kids were crying and Danny called back over his shoulder in a casual voice. "Hey, hey, you guys. What's with all the hubbub? We're fine down here. That loud noise? That was nothing. You know what, it was probably just my friends. This one friend of mine, he's such a klutz. Trips over his own feet all the time and he's kind of a tall guy, so every time he falls, he's got so far to fall that when he lands, it shakes the whole building. I can't take him anywhere. And he's out there right now, so my guess is, he tripped again." He saw the kids relax and one or two of them giggle. If an adult was willing to be silly and nonchalant, things couldn't be too bad.

"Thanks, partner," Steve said in his ear.

"All for a good cause, Steven," Danny said in a low voice so the kids wouldn't hear. "Kono, are you out?"

"Yeah, Danny. We're clear on this side."

"Can you send EMS to the west side entrance? The kids are okay but the teacher's got a gash on her leg."

Kono sounded worried when she answered. "Can you get out another entrance? That one really doesn't look stable."

Danny looked around. The only other door they'd passed was a ways back, and the smoke was really starting to get bad. The kids were coughing now and he knew they didn't have long to get out of the building. "Don't think that's an option. We're in the service hall on the side of the building. We'd have to go back and through and I don't think we have time for that."

"We'll get as close as we can. But definitely move faster," Kono said.

"Shooter's down, so you're clear," Steve added.

Excellent," Danny murmured as he put his gun back in his holster and turned to the adult behind him. "Can you carry Miss Myers?" The man nodded and Danny said, "Great. When we get outside, do that. We need to move fast." He called out to the group as he walked faster. "Okay, you all. I've just been told that the fire trucks have someplace else to be soon. They're going to wait for us, but we have to hurry. So we're going to pick up the pace, and we get outside, you're all going to run as fast as you can, okay? I promise if you do that, we'll all get a chance to see the trucks and maybe even hit the sirens. Everybody know what to do?"

A chorus of yes, sirs came back. Danny could see the door and it was partly blocked by debris. He and the other adults quickly shifted it out of the way. In his ear, Steve said, "Danny, you gotta move, buddy."

Danny said through his coughing, "Door's blocked, but we're almost through. You out?"

"We're all clear. You're the last ones in. Move faster, brother."

They got the door clear. Danny opened it and nodded to the man to pick up Miss Myers. "Go!" he yelled, pushing them out the door. "Okay, kids, time to run. Don't let those trucks leave!" He touched each kid as they passed, counting heads. He counted fifteen and the last adult, so he let the door close and took off behind them. He could hear cracking behind him and knew the building was about to come down.

Through the smoke, he could see the first kids reach the emergency personnel running to meeting them. But now he only counted fourteen kids in front of him. He stopped and looked back. He saw a blond head on the ground; one of the kids had fallen.

Danny ran back and scooped up the girl. He glanced up and over his shoulder and realized they weren't going to make it far enough away from the building, so he looked for cover. He ducked behind what looked like a piece of blocky modern art and curled himself in a ball around the little girl as there was another loud noise and the whole end of the building came crashing down.

 


	26. Chapter 26

"Cassandra," the NASA Administrator's voice called from down the hall in his standard greeting for her. Cassie looked up to see her boss standing in front of his office with two Navy officers. She smiled, thinking these two men were meeting with him, then she recognized one of them as Steve's friend Robbie. She frowned and his next words stopped her cold. "These gentlemen were looking for you."

The blood drained out of her face and she put a hand out to catch herself on the wall. Robbie moved toward her, reaching out an arm for support. She shook her head and stood up straight. She couldn't ask the question, though, so Robbie just held out a phone and said, "McGarrett."

Cassie's hand shook as she took the phone. "Steve?"

Steve got right to the point. _"He's alive. It's… bad, though. Can you leave?"_

Knowing that Steve wouldn't ask unless it was critical, and knowing that she'd go even if she couldn't, she said, "I'll get the first plane out."

_"_ _It's covered. You're on a transport from Andrews. They're holding it for you; Robbie will get you on base."_

"Steve…"

 _"_ _Just… just get here, Cass."_ The call disconnected, and Cassie stared at the phone for a second.

"I have to go," she said, almost to herself. She could barely hear her boss ask Robbie what had happened over the roaring in her ears and the other man responding.

The other officer came out of her office carrying her purse and computer bag. "Ma'am, if you'll follow us?"

Cassie made it out of the building somehow and into the car. It was the fastest drive she'd ever had to Andrews; Robbie didn't have lights and a siren, but he drove like he did. He talked most of the way, telling her what he knew. "It was an active shooter situation, but the guy also had explosives. Danny was caught by part of the building coming down while he was getting people out. They airlifted him to Queen's. McGarrett called me before they took off and again after they got to the hospital." As they pulled off the Beltway onto the base access road, Robbie said, "You'll be in the air about ten hours, flying with a SEAL team headed out to Pearl for training. Steve said he or one of the team will meet you at the airfield."

Cassie's phone rang, causing her to jump. She hurriedly fished it out of her purse and saw it was her brother.

Zach didn't even let her say hello. "Hey, sis, I don't want to worry you, but we just heard about a thing in Honolulu. Have you talked to Danny today?"

She tried to hold it together but her voice broke as she said, "Steve is putting me on a plane from Andrews right now. He's alive, but it's bad." Before Zach could say anything else, she asked, "Can you call Mom and Dad and let them know? I don't know if I'll be able to call from the plane."

Zach said, "Will do. Call when you know more, and if you want me to come out there, just say the word."

Robbie got her on the plane and the members of the SEAL team got her settled. Cassie vaguely thought that Steve had either called in a lot of favors, or he owed a lot of new ones, to make this happen.

Ten excruciating hours later when the plane landed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Kono and Lou were waiting for her when she walked off the aircraft, Lou's SUV parked as close to the plane as he could get. Cassie actually felt better seeing them, knowing that if Danny hadn't made it, Steve would be there to tell her.

Kono enveloped her in a tight hug. "It's better than they thought at first," she said. "He's out of surgery."

Lou hugged her as well. "McGarrett didn't want to leave him or Grace, otherwise he would have been here."

Cassie nodded. "Good. Let's go."

While Lou drove, Kono sat in the backseat and told Cassie what had happened, ending with Danny saving the life of a young girl. "There's no way she would have made if Danny hadn't gone back for her, then shielded her when the building came down. She's got some ear damage and cuts and bruises, but the doc says they'll clear up on their own."

Lou added, "There's no way any of those kids or adults would have made it if Danny hadn't gotten them out. The kids didn't even realize things were that bad because he kept them calm and moving." Lou sighed. "He managed to get enough cover to keep anything big from landing on them but there was a lot of flying debris. His vest stopped some of it, but he got pretty banged up. He was losing blood when they got him in the bus and they were worried about internal bleeding, as well as his lungs with all the smoke and dust." Kono caught his eye in the rear-view mirror, so he added, "He's tough. You know that. Not going to let a little thing like this keep him down for long."

Cassie nodded, her face pale with worry, and Lou stepped on the gas pedal a little harder.

When they got to the hospital, Lou cleared the way through the halls with the speed of a running back and the presence of a blocking tackle, Kono flanking Cassie in case she needed a hand. The whole team was gathered in the ICU hallway, along with Grace, Max, and Adam, sitting in the uncomfortable chairs.

Grace saw Cassie first; she shifted in her chair, but hesitated. Cassie stopped, and whatever Grace saw on her face overcame any hesitation. The teenager flew down the hall and threw herself at Cassie, who caught her, arms wrapping around the girl, holding tightly. The two clung together wordlessly. Steve stood and moved toward them. Cassie's eyes tracked him, trying to discern his expression. He put a hand on Grace's back; she let go of Cassie, but didn't move more than a step back.

Steve reached over Grace's head to hug Cassie. "They're keeping him sedated a little while longer, but the surgery went well."

She held on for another second, then pulled back to look at Steve. "When can I see him?"

"Probably when they move him out of ICU. The doc should be here shortly to give us an update." Cassie nodded. Steve could tell she didn't know what to do. He gave her another hug and said, "It's going to be okay, Cass. I promise."

Grace pulled her over to the chairs and tucked herself under Cassie's arm as they sat down. On the other side, Chin leaned over and gave her a hug with one arm. Steve sat back down on the other side of Grace and they waited.

When the doctor came out, he took in the large group in the hallway, and then looked at Steve. "Commander McGarrett, I think it would be better if we talked somewhere private."

Steve nodded and looked at Grace. "Gracie, do you want to come with me and Cassie or wait for us to fill you in?"

Grace sat up straighter at being treated like an adult by her uncle and said, "I'd like to come with you."

Cassie looked at Steve with a silent question on her face. He gave her an even look back. "Of course you are. You know Danny would want you there." Grace grabbed Cassie's hand and nodded.

The doctor looked like he was going to object. Steve fixed him with a cold, resolved stare and Chin said kindly, "You're not going to win this one, doc."

The doctor looked around at the people gathered in the hall, and they all looked back at him with determined expressions. "Right, then. Please come with me," the doctor said.

The doctor outlined Danny's injuries and what they'd done in the surgery. Danny had been hit by something that caused a large cut on his leg, which was where most of the blood loss happened, and they'd had to repair an artery. He'd also suffered smoke inhalation and bruised ribs, in addition to other smaller cuts and bruises. The doctor was optimistic, but wanted to keep a close eye on Danny to see how he did overnight. Although Danny still had a fair amount of recovery in front of him, if no new problems cropped up, he was likely going to be okay.

* * *

Danny heard the soft hum and beep of the machines first, then felt the heaviness of the IV line in his arm and oxygen thing in his nose. Somewhat incongruously he thought, _oh that's good, at least there's not a tube down my throat_. He thought there might have been, before, but he wasn't sure he'd actually been awake. _Too many times in a hospital bed to remember which is which._

He tried to move his head, but that was a bad idea, so he twitched his fingers. Better. They brushed against something soft, and he thought about that for a second. He twitched his fingers again, and thought hair. Not-short hair. Grace? He struggled to open his eyes so he could see. The hair resting next to his hand wasn't brown like his daughter's, but he knew that color.

 _Cassie_. Why was Cassie here? _Oh. Right. Hospital. IV._ Something really bad had happened to him. _Don't think about it right now. Hurts to remember, so think about it later._ Except… Steve. Steve had been outside. And Cassie was here. And Danny knew Steve was the reason she was here.

His fingers continued to twitch over the strands of hair, and he wasn't surprised when she gave a little start, then slowly lifted her head. "He...y, babe." His voice sounded awful, he thought. There had definitely been a tube down his throat. "Whatcha doin here?"

She blinked slowly and said, "Steve put me on a C-17 from Andrews."

"'Course he did." He tried to remember more. "How long have I been here?"

"So far?" She looked at her watch. "Forty-six hours and fifty-two minutes."

"How long've you been here?"

Cassie tilted her head. "Thirty-six hours and three minutes." Danny tried to move his head, but she reached out to stop him. "You're wired up, babe. Don't move. I'm going to get the doctor, okay?"

"Don't leave."

The smile she turned on him could have put stars to shame. "Love, I'm not going anywhere." She hit his call button and it wasn't but a few seconds before a nurse hurried in.

The older woman grinned. "Looks like our patient decided to join the party." She began checking machines and looking over Danny. "You've had quite the crowd waiting on you to wake up, Detective Williams."

For some reason, that triggered part of Danny's memory. "Kids?"

"Safe. Including the little girl you went back for," Cassie said. Danny vaguely remembered blond hair covered by dust. "Her parents have stopped by a couple of times."

"Steve?"

"I finally managed to talk him into going home for a few hours. He's going to be upset he missed you waking up." Danny tried to give her a look. "Grace has been taking care of both of us, I promise. She made me go home a few hours ago."

"She's okay?"

"She's good. She's been… really, Danny, she's been amazing. She's been taking care of Steve and me while the team works."

Danny couldn't resist the pull of sleep, but he had to know. "Case?"

"New one. Nothing you need to worry about. Chin, Kono, and Lou have it covered. Go back to sleep, love. We'll be here when you wake up again."

* * *

The next time, it was easier to open his eyes. He felt a little less hazy, and this time he opened his eyes to find his partner sitting next to his bed. "Look like shit, babe. Whatcha been doing?"

Steve sat up straight, then leaned forward. "Watching you sleep, Danno. It's boring as hell, man."

Danny tried to laugh. "How many doctors have you scared since I got here?"

Steve snorted. "One." He thought for a moment. "Cassie got the rest of them."

Danny found it easier to grin, too. "You two."

"Grace is on her way back with Cassie. Think you can stay awake long enough to see them?"

"I'll try." He wanted to talk more, but it was easier just to lay there while Steve sat quietly with him. He may have slipped back into a light sleep, but when Cassie and Grace entered the room he heard them and opened his eyes.

Grace was at his bedside immediately. "Danno! You're awake!"

"Hey, Monkey." He struggled to sit up more, and Steve put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it, Danny. You're not supposed to move," his partner said.

Danny, gasping for breath from that little bit of exertion, agree. "Now you tell me."

"I didn't think you'd try to jump out of bed two days after a building blew up and fell on you," Steve said, exasperated.

Danny snorted weakly. "No, that's your play."

Steve and Cassie shared a relieved look at how normal he sounded. "I always knew you wanted to be more like me, partner," Steve said.

"Yeah, it took my second near-death experience with a collapsing building to show me the error of my ways." Grace and Cassie both went still. Danny sighed and said to them, "I'm on pain meds and have no filter. Ignore everything I say, okay?"

"So, status quo?" Steve said, standing and directing Grace to sit down in his place.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, status quo." He looked at his daughter, then at Cassie.

Cassie nodded and said, "Steve, I saw some flowers and things for Danny at the nurse's desk. Come with me to get them?"

Steve started to object, but saw Danny give him a nod. "Yes, ma'am. Gracie, you want us to bring you back anything?" She shook her head.

Danny said, "What about me? I might want something."

Steve smirked. "I'm sorry, I thought I was supposed to ignore everything you say."

"Go away, Steven." After Cassie prodded his partner out the door, Danny held his hand out to his daughter. She took it, and Danny said, "I'm okay, Monkey."

"I know, Danno. But it was scary."

Danny thought about what to say. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Grace shook her head. "You were doing what you always do and taking care of everyone. You saved a lot of people." Danny tried to wave a hand, but the IV got in the way. Grace got a stubborn expression on her face that Danny recognized from looking in a mirror. "You did and there are a lot of people who want to say thank you. You should let them, Dad."

Danny couldn't argue with his little girl, so he gave him more or less gracefully. "I hear you've been taking care of people, too."

Grace sat back with a thump. "I thought you were bad, Danno. Cassie and Uncle Steve are way worse than you are." Her expression softened. "Really, we've been taking care of each other."

Danny nodded a tiny bit. "Good."

Danny's eyes started to droop and Grace said, "Sleep, Danno, so you get better fast." Danny tried to nod again, but he was already out.

* * *

By the end of the next day, Danny was able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. Better yet, he was able to move if he did it slowly and carefully. His doctors wanted him up walking as soon as could, so he was trying to push himself in that direction.

The team rotated through his room, sitting by the bed and keeping him entertained. Cassie was there more often than not, and Grace was there after school.

The nurse made them all go home that night, and as much as Danny wanted to be near Cassie, he also wanted her to get a good night's sleep. She was back the next morning, looking better and more rested.

And because she was amazing, she snuck in malasadas and coffee, even though she wouldn't let him have much of either.

Danny made it down the hall and back for the second time that day, and had just settled back into the bed to wait for the doctor to stop by on his morning rounds when Governor Denning walked into the room.

Denning shook Danny's hand. "Detective Williams, I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing in person. And say thank you."

Danny looked embarrassed, but also proud. "I didn't do anything the rest of my team wouldn't have done."

"Still, if you hadn't gotten those kids out, they still would have been in the building when it collapsed, and from what they say, you made sure they all got out safely. I imagine we'll have a more formal recognition ceremony when you're up for it - at the very least, you've earned a public thank you for your actions."

Danny grimaced. "Really, that's not necessary."

Denning laughed lightly. "Oh, yes, it is." He looked over at Cassie. "Ms. Wallace, I'll make sure we schedule it at a time when you're here."

"I'd appreciate that."

Denning shook Danny's hand again and told him to get some rest. Before he left, he asked Cassie if she would walk him out.

Out in the hallway, Denning stopped and said, "Can I ask you a candid question, Ms. Wallace?"

"If you'll call me Cassie, then of course."

Denning smiled. "Cassie. Are you planning on moving to Hawaii?" She looked surprised, and he continued. "Sorry, that was a bit direct, I know. But if I can offer some incentive for you… Linda Hale is leaving her job running the Council on Innovation and Technology."

Cassie looked up, worried, and Denning reassured her. "For the best of reasons. Her older son and his girlfriend just found out that they're having a baby, so Linda and her husband are moving to California to be there and help out while they both finish their last year of college. She's delighted and although I hate to lose her, family comes first. She and I were talking about who might take her place, and your name came up."

Cassie was stunned and it took her a second to ask, "You're offering me a job?"

Denning nodded. "I'm asking you to seriously consider it. I'm guessing there are any number of companies here that would jump at the chance to have someone with your background on the payroll, and I know Jack Kahele at HDEM would take you in a heartbeat. But Linda suggested that you would be able to both follow her work and create new opportunities, and I agree."

"I'm honored, Governor. Linda's done amazing work with CIT and she's going to be a hard act to follow."

"Is that a yes?"

Cassie studied him and hesitated. "I have to ask one question. It's not because..." she looked back in the direction of Danny's room.

"No." Denning said firmly. "I would certainly have offered you any assistance I could for Detective Williams' sake, just as I would any of my people, but there's not a doubt in my mind that you are the best person for this position right now. I believe you can help us bring in new industries to Hawaii, create programs that help our students, and I think you can be an example of someone who moved here and found not only a welcoming place, but a new ohana."

"That's…" she paused, looking for the right words but didn't find them. So instead, she straightened up and said, "Thank you, Governor."

He chuckled. "Is that a yes?"

Cassie smiled brilliantly. "Yes."

She walked back into Danny's room a few minutes later, looking a bit stunned. Danny cocked his head, worried. "Everything okay, babe?"

Cassie mirrored his tilted head. "Hey, um, what do you think about me working for the governor?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Here?"

Her mouth quirked. "I hope so." Cassie perched on the edge of his bed. "Linda and Tom are moving to California to be near one of their sons, and she suggested that I take her place."

Danny thought it over for about a quarter of a second. "You're perfect for that job. Denning's smart to recognize that."

"So, you're okay if I take it?"

He held a hand to his chest. "Cass, I'm fine if you want to start your own company or write the great American novel or give boat tours. If you're happy, I'm happy." She looked down, picking at the edge of the sheet. He reached out for her hand. "Hey. Do you want the job?"

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, I really do. Working at the state level would let me really make a difference more directly. I think I could be good at it."

Danny grinned at her. "So. You're taking the job?"

She lifted one shoulder and dropped it. "Well, since I already told the governor yes…" She grinned back at him.

The nurse walked in a few minutes later to let the detective know it would be a few more minutes before the doctor was able to see him, but she backed out slowly, since the detective was obviously keeping busy while he waited, deciding to give her charge and his lovely girlfriend another minute of privacy first.

* * *

Danny was even stronger the next day, though the doctor wanted him to stay another two days or so just to make sure he was healing well. Grace thought that sounded reasonable and wouldn't let her father argue with the doctor. When Danny looked to Cassie for support, his darling girlfriend merely shook her head at him and gave Grace a thumbs up.

Cassie and Grace ate dinner with Danny, and he pretended to grumble at Grace after she stole his jello and ate it. Grace laughed and promised Danny that he could steal bites of her pie next time they went to the diner.

Cassie drove Grace home after she'd spent a couple of hours with her dad. Grace sighed as they approached her house. It was so much like being in the car with Danny, Cassie thought. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Why can't I go home to Danno's with you?"

Cassie nodded, less in agreement and more to stall for time while she thought of a way to answer. "You know I would be okay with that, right?" Grace nodded. "And your dad doesn't have a problem with it."

"I know. He doesn't want to upset my mom."

"That's right."

"Why? It's not fair." It was such a teenage thing to say, but Cassie understood Grace's frustration. "She never worries about upsetting him."

Cassie tilted her head. "Maybe not, but I think that's because she's trying to protect you the best way she knows how."

"I don't need protecting. I'm not a little kid."

"Everybody needs protecting, Grace." Grace shot her a betrayed look and Cassie shook her head. "It's not a kid or an adult thing. We all need someone looking out for us. Your dad protects me, Uncle Steve protects your dad…"

"It's an ohana thing."

"Exactly. We all watch out for each other. And parents, well, it's hard for them not to protect their kids. Your mom's doing her best."

Grace thought about it. "She wouldn't have to know. I could tell her Uncle Steve was staying with me."

Cassie snorted. "Not a chance, kiddo. That's the biggest non-starter of all non-starters."

Grace nodded, not really surprised. "You know, technically, you were my friend first."

Cassie tried not to laugh. "This is true, and as your friend, I will always, _always_ , be here for you. If we're not at your dad's, you can always call me or text. Just don't lie to your mom about it. And if you want to go to your dad's and stay for a bit, I will talk to him about talking to your mom. Key word there is that we're all talking to each other." Cassie pulled the car up by the driveway gate. "Okay?"

Grace undid her seatbelt and flung herself across the console to hug Cassie. "Thank you! Love you, Cassie."

"Love you, too, Gracie. I'll see you tomorrow."

Grace grabbed her backpack and nodded, and got out of the car. Cassie watched her go, blindly grabbing for her phone and dialing.

As the call connected, she heard, "Hey, girl. Everything okay?"

Cassie said, "Tell me I did the right thing, Jen."

She told Jen about her conversation with Grace, and her sister-in-law assured her she had handled it well. She was still on the phone when she got back to the hospital and saw Danny and Steve sitting on a bench out front.

"Look at you!" she called as she walked toward them after telling Jen she'd talk to her later. She kissed Danny's cheek and said, "How do you feel?"

"Like SuperSEAL is going to have to combat carry me back to the room." Both Steve and Cassie looked worried, and Danny waved a dismissive hand at them. "I'm fine. Give me a few minutes to enjoy the sun and I'll be ready to go back."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Enjoy the sun? Danno, you sure you're feeling okay?"

"You're very funny, Steven." Danny noticed that Cassie seemed tired or troubled; he couldn't tell. "Hey, give us a minute, would you? And then, yes, I will need your help to get back to the room."

Steve immediately looked at Cassie and caught the same thing Danny had seen. He nodded. "Call me when you're ready."

Danny tugged at Cassie's hand to get her to sit by him. "What's wrong, babe?"

Cassie half laughed. "See, this is the thing when your boyfriend and all his best friends are trained investigators. I'm never going to be able to get anything past you, am I?"

Danny pursed his lips. "Tell me you're fine, or don't want to talk about it, and I'll give you space. But I can tell something's bothering you."

"Not bothering me, just… I thought I might have gotten in over my head with Grace, and I needed to call Jen to get some advice." Danny waited patiently to see if she wanted to tell him more. She told him about the conversation, and when she was done, he nodded.

"You did good, babe. I wouldn't have said anything differently." He ran a hand over his head. "I might need to have a conversation with her, though, about not telling her mother things."

Cassie shook her head. "I don't think you need to do that. She knew it wouldn't fly. Jen said she was just testing boundaries."

Danny gave her a small grin. "Protecting her, are you?" Cassie started to protest and he reached for her hand. "Thank you. For handling it and for protecting her." He tugged her closer for a kiss. "Would you be okay staying with her at the house?"

"Of course."

Danny studied her, wondering if she was wanted Grace to stay there because she needed company. "You know, you can always go stay at Steve's if you're lonely. Or with Chin. Maybe he'll let you drive the Mustang." He grinned at her.

Cassie laughed a little. "I know. They've both tried to convince me, but Steve would hover and Chin would be quietly concerned, and it's sweet, but I'd rather be at your place. And I'm pretty sure that Steve has extra patrols driving past your house when I'm there so I'll feel safe."

"You sure you want teenage company then?"

Cassie nodded. "Having Grace there isn't about me wanting company. She needs to be there, I think so that she feels like she's closer to you. And I think we might need each other right now."

Danny nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll talk to Rachel." And there it was, a tiny flinch. So that's what was bothering her, he thought. He replayed the conversation in his head. Ah. "You agree with Grace about Rachel?" he asked gently.

"I'm never going to say anything bad about her mom, not to Grace and not in front of her. You don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not worried, babe, not about that. But that's not what I asked."

Cassie sighed. "She has a point. Rachel doesn't seem to care if she upsets you. And, yeah, I kind of have a problem with that."

Danny couldn't hide a small smile. "You protecting me, too?" She wrinkled her nose and nodded. "I love you, you know that?" he said.

Cassie smiled in response. "I do know that."

"Come here, babe." He tugged her closer, letting her do most of the work since it hurt to lean. He kissed her as thoroughly as he could, which granted, wasn't much, but he gave it a solid effort. "I'm going to need a raincheck on the rest of that, okay?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Cassie said.

"Yeah, me, too." He sighed. "As far as Rachel goes, you don't have to worry about me."

"I know I don't have to, but I do."

"Yeah, I know and I love you for that." Danny tilted his head and shrugged. "For a few other things, too, if we're being honest."

Cassie smiled and carefully leaned her head against his shoulder. Danny sat there in the sun with the woman he loved and enjoyed being alive.


	27. Chapter 27

Steve wouldn't let anyone else wheel Danny to the hospital door when his partner finally got the okay from the doctor to go home, and he hovered next to Danny the whole eight steps to the car. When Danny was settled in the passenger seat, Steve held his hand out for the keys. Cassie cocked an eyebrow, and Steve gave her his best SEAL stare. Danny watched with amusement from inside the car, finally saying, "I love you both, but I'd like to go home now."

Cassie sighed and gave up the keys, crawling in the backseat of Danny's car. Steve smirked, but said, "Thank you."

Danny shifted to look at her, moving carefully. "Now you know how I feel."

Cassie huffed, but good-naturedly. Steve got in and started the car, but checked with Danny before he pulled out of the parking space. "You ready to go?" he asked, putting a hand out to check Danny's seatbelt and seatback.

"I'm fine, Steve. I haven't forgotten how to ride in a car, especially my own."

"I know that, Danno. I also know you're still in a little bit of pain and I'd prefer not to listen to you bitch all the way home." Steve's tone was light, but Danny saw the worried face.

"Does that mean you plan to drive the speed limit?" he teased back.

Steve nodded. "For you, partner, anything. I promise I will drive like a little old lady."

Cassie cleared her throat. "You know, all the little old ladies I know drive like speed demons."

Steve didn't miss a beat. "I promise I will not drive like a little old lady."

Danny laughed and winced a little. Steve put a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

Danny waved him off. "I'm fine, Steven. Let's just go."

Steve did take it easy on the way home, which worried Danny more than anything. When they pulled up, he told Danny to wait a minute. He helped Cassie out of the car and then hustled around to the passenger side. Cassie went to open the door and watched, amused, as Steve grumbled at Danny when he tried to get out of the car by himself and then as he walked right next to Danny, a hand on his arm up to the door.

Steve hovered as Danny walked into the house and finally Danny turned, almost bumping into his partner. Danny looked at him and shook his head. "Steve. You're being kinda handsy, babe. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Danny. I'm just trying to get you settled without you hurting anything else." He ushered Danny to the couch, making sure he was comfortable.

Danny exchanged a look with Cassie, who pressed her lips together to hide a grin. She said, "Hey, Steve?" He immediately turned around to see what she needed. "Could you check in the bedroom and make sure everything's set up? I moved a few things around, but they may need to be moved back."

Danny watched her as Steve nodded and strode off, determined. "Did you really move things around?" he asked her.

Cassie shook her head. "No."

Danny closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "I love you." She chuckled and he held a hand out to her.

Cassie took his hand and sat by him on the couch. She said, "It's because he wasn't there, you know." Danny looked at her in question. "You scared Steve because he wasn't right there with you, looking out for you. He's trying to reassure himself that you're really okay." She looked down as she absently played with his hand. "I know what that feels like."

Danny closed his hand around hers and pulled her a little closer. "Have I told you lately how happy I am that you're here?"

Cassie leaned her head on his shoulder. "Not in the last fifteen minutes."

He laughed softly. "Seriously, I don't think I've said thank you for dropping everything to come out here. It means the world to me."

Cassie sat up and turned to face him. "Danny, this is home. It's where I belong, and there's nothing in this universe that could have kept me from being here with you."

Danny studied her. There were dark circles under her eyes and although she was holding it together, he could see that she was just as worried as Steve. He didn't want her to worry, though, so he said, only half-joking, "You're waiting to hover until Steve leaves, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "I thought you should only have to put up with one of us at a time."

Danny pulled her close again, even when she tried not to put any pressure on his ribs, and said, "This is where you belong and I'm so happy that you're home." He put his arm around her and shifted so that she could rest her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

When Steve came back into the room, he found both Danny and Cassie sound asleep. He smiled and carefully draped a blanket over them, then quietly went into the kitchen to read until they woke up.

* * *

They developed a new routine over the next several days, which much to Danny's chagrin included far too many Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, a phenomenon he had not been familiar with and which Cassie and Grace were more than happy to introduce him to. Though to be fair, they didn't mind that he slept through a lot of them.

Danny had a few checkups to make sure he was healing as he was supposed to, and he bugged the doctor about starting physical therapy so he could get cleared to work again.

Steve was there every day, and Grace would stop by each day for an hour or two after school. She planned to spend most of her Christmas break at Danny's, but she didn't want to wait until then to see how he was doing.

Cassie focused on taking care of him the first couple of days, but Danny finally convinced her that he really didn't need the constant attention. He wasn't exactly alone anyway, since there was a steady stream of visitors to the house.

Danny got restless quickly, and she knew that he'd feel better if he felt useful, so when Steve called from the office to talk about a case or tie him in via video, Cassie held her tongue. In return, Danny talked Cassie into working, both from the house wrapping up what she could of her current job and by spending some time at Linda's office going over her new job.

He mentioned once or twice that if she needed to fly back to DC, that was fine. Danny knew that she'd left a lot of things undone, including little things like actually packing for a trip. Cassie brushed that idea off, reminding him that she did have a few things there. Her parents had been by, too, and took care of her apartment and shipped another box of clothes and things for her.

Besides, Cassie noted, it was as good an excuse as any, so when Danny was at a doctor's appointment one afternoon, she, Kono, and Grace went shopping.

Danny didn't push her leaving; he was being selfish, but he wanted her there. It felt right having her be a daily part of his life. He did apologize to her parents for her missing their early Christmas, to which both Caroline and Dean assured him that the only important thing was that he was getting better and Cassie was where she needed to be.

Danny loved having her there, and being able to spend so much time with her was a luxury that he made the most of, even if that mostly meant sitting quietly and working in the same room with her. By the end of the week, though, Danny was going a little stir-crazy and although she swore she wasn't, he knew Cassie was, too. He insisted that she get out of the house to do something relaxing, but she didn't want to go too far, so Steve took her back to his house where she could sit on the beach and read.

When Steve came out to check on her an hour or so later, he found her just staring out at the water, knees drawn up under her chin. He pulled up the other chair and asked, "You want to talk about it?"

She was quiet for a long moment, and so he watched the water with her until she was ready to talk. "I was just wondering if I could manage the move without actually going back to DC."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Kind of, yeah. I mean, I don't want to put that on anyone else, but I also don't want to leave again."

Steve nodded. "If that's what you want to do, I'll make it happen. But what if Danny and I went back to DC with you after the holidays, and we just took a weekend to wrap everything up?"

She laughed. "A weekend?"

Steve shrugged. "Okay, five or six days. That was your original plan, right?" She nodded. "We'll clear it with the doctor, and if Danny can't go, then Chin or Kono or Lou will come. Or maybe they'll come anyway. We'll make it a family trip. If that's what you need, that's what we'll do."

"Family trip?" She asked with raised eyebrows and a smile.

Steve nodded firmly. "That includes you, Wallace." He could see he needed to explain. "You know, being in the Navy, I never felt like I had a home. Not a real one. And when I moved back to Hawaii, it took a long time for it to feel like more than the place I grew up. It feels like home now because my family is here. But the funny thing about family is that there's always room for one more."

"My dad says something like that,' Cassie said and smiled.

"Smart man." Steve grinned. "Hawaii suits you, and you like it here." He cocked his head. "Probably more than Danny ever will."

Cassie acknowledged the point with a small laugh. She said, "I don't know if it's just because of Danny, but this place has felt familiar ever since I got off the plane the first time."

Steve looked at her seriously. "You've made an effort to be part of life here, and that means something. You're not just Danny's girlfriend, you're ohana."

She thought it over. "You really want to come back to DC with me to help me move?"

"Hey, I was told I had an open invitation to visit Virginia. We can pack your things and drive down to visit your parents. I have a feeling that, between you and Danny, _I_ would have an excellent time."

Cassie laughed. Then she nodded. "You would. I know they'd like to meet Danny's brother," she said seriously, but with a smile.

Steve's breath caught with unexpected emotion. He meant it when he said he considered her to be ohana, but that she considered him family in return meant just as much. He nodded with conviction. "Then it's settled."

* * *

The governor was true to his word and held a ceremony the Sunday before Christmas recognizing Five-0 for their actions. He specifically called out Danny, citing his bravery and quick thinking that saved lives. For Danny, the best part of the whole day was when he saw Miss Myers and her class. Seeing the kids safe was really the only recognition he needed, but it was nice to hug the little girl he'd protected and high five and fist bump the other kids from the class.

Cassie hung back at first, but Danny kept her close to his side, introducing her to Miss Myers and the parents of the kids. The governor also took some of her time there, introducing her to others as his new director for the Council on Innovation and Technology. Danny watched proudly as she stepped into that role with enthusiasm.

The whole team went out for dinner, Danny's first real outing since he was hurt. They went to Sidestreet, and instead of immediately following his team outside, he grabbed Cassie's hand so they could stop at the bar. It had been just over two months since they met on a Sunday night at that very spot.

They didn't need to say anything and Danny had just meant to stop for a second. But then Jai met them with two glasses of champagne, congrats on Cassie's new job, and a sincere expression of relief at seeing Danny there and well. He gave Cassie a sly wink as he dropped the glasses off and she shook her head at Danny. He lifted his glass and said, "Here's to the cabal."

* * *

The next day, Danny met his daughter in front of the school to pick her up after cheerleading. Although classes were out, her squad kept their Monday afternoon practice. Linda had asked Cassie if she could attend a dinner that evening so that she could meet some key industry contacts, even though she wasn't officially on the job yet. Cassie knew Grace needed some time with her dad, and after making sure Danny was good to drive, told Linda she'd be there.

Danny took Grace to her favorite restaurant again and they talked about cheerleading and school and what Christmas would be like that year. Danny was planning to have everyone over on Christmas Eve again, and then they'd spend Christmas morning at Steve's. Grace would head back to her mom's late that morning, so Danny was planning to pack in all the Christmas cheer he could in that window.

Over pie, Grace surprised him with a question. "Danno, do you think you and Cassie will get married?"

Danny, who had been just about to take a bite of apple pie, gently set his fork back down and looked at his daughter. "I don't know, Monkey."

Grace nodded thoughtfully, and after a few seconds said, "You should."

Danny decided it was probably better if he just left the fork alone for a few minutes and set it down again. "Why do you say that?"

"You love her, right?"

"Very much, yes."

Grace shrugged. "That's what people who love each other do, right?"

Danny tilted his head. "Not always. Sometimes there are reasons people don't get married, but that doesn't mean they're not committed to each other."

"Did you not like being married to Mom?"

Danny sat back against the booth. He wished there were flashing neon warning signs for when his kid was going to spring conversations like this on him so he could prepare. "I did, actually, like being married to your mother. We had our problems, but I liked being married."

"So, why don't you want to marry Cassie?"

"It's not that I don't want to," Danny said, and as he said it, he realized it was true. Yes, for years he'd railed against the whole institution of marriage, but he'd also watched two of his friends - his ohana - get married, and had been thrilled for them. His anti-marriage stance was more a reflection of the way his first marriage ended, rather than a fact that he didn't want to be married.

And the fact was, regardless of what he'd told Chin, he'd been thinking about it since his epic flub over Thanksgiving. He hadn't meant to bring it up, but once he did, he couldn't stop his brain from pondering what being married again would be like.

He wanted Cassie in his life for good, there was no question about that. And living with her in DC had been so easy. Yes, they were in the early crazy-in-love stage of their relationship, but they'd also argued and bickered. And talked. They'd talked for hours, and if there was a secret Danny hadn't shared, it was because he'd forgotten it years before. She'd accepted all of it, and shared things of her own.

And over the last week or so, they'd settled into a routine that he reveled in. She made this place home in a way it hadn't been before, and he was surprised to find how much he wanted that. Wanted that kind of life with her.

Grace watched her father work it out, a triumphant smile on her face. All Danny could say was, "Huh." He finally took that bite of pie, thinking some more while he chewed and swallowed. When he looked at Grace again, he said, "It's a good thing I'm so comfortable with all the women in my life being way smarter than I am."

Grace giggled. "When you propose, you should take her back to where you had your first date. She'll like that." Danny took another bite of pie and then regretted it when Grace added, "It's romantic. Girls like romantic stuff."

He pointed his fork at her. "Please don't tell me where you got that idea." She nodded, a little too eagerly, Danny noted. He had another thought and asked his daughter, "You're okay with Cassie being your stepmom?"

Grace nodded and when she explained, Danny figured out she'd been thinking about it more than a little. "I don't think she'll be like some other stepmoms, where they think they have to be super-strict. I know she'll have to be more of a parent, but she's my friend, too, and not in that weird way that Lexi's stepmom tries to be Lexi's best friend. She's a lot like you, Danno. She's pretty cool and I trust her."

Danny nodded at that, hiding his pleased surprise that his daughter thought he was cool.

"One more thing, Dad. You should probably think about getting a new house."

* * *

Steve felt like things were back to normal, sort of. He was driving Danny back from a doctor's appointment instead of being on a case, but he and Danny were both in their respective spots and everything was as it should be.

Danny sat quietly in the passenger seat, obviously thinking about something. Steve looked over a couple of times, before finally saying, "What is it?"

"What's what?" Danny murmured, only half paying attention.

"You've got something on your mind. What is it, partner?"

Danny hesitated, then lifted a hand. "I'm thinking about Cassie moving out here."

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No, Steve, I am not having second thoughts." Danny smiled indulgently at his partner.

"Okay, so what's got you tied in knots?"

Danny breathed out in a laugh. "Funny you put it like that." At Steve's confused expression, he waved a hand at him. "I'm thinking about where Cassie is going to live."

Steve knew the way his partner's mind worked, and he wouldn't be this concerned if it were just one apartment versus another. Well, probably. "You want her to live with you instead?"

"Yeah, I do."

Steve nodded once. "Okay, why is that a problem?"

Danny turned and looked at him. "It's not a problem. Well, I don't know how we're going to combine furniture, but I don't really consider that a problem."

Steve studied the other man, to the point where Danny gave him a look. "Eyes on the road, please?" he asked, his voice rising.

Steve looked back at the road and what Danny had said about knots finally sunk in. "Oh my god, you're thinking about proposing."

"Mm-hmm," was Danny's only reply. Steve stared at him again, eyes wide. "Steven!" Danny yelled, pointing forward. "I'd like to make it to the proposal alive, please!" Steve turned his head, and Danny added in a calmer voice, "Would you like me to drive my own car so you can flip out about this?"

"I'm fine," Steve said sharply. "I'm just surprised."

"Why are you surprised?"

"You hate weddings!"

"I still hate weddings. I don't have to have a wedding," he used air quotes around the word, "to get married."

"When are you going to do it?" Steve waved a hand. "How are you doing to do it?"

"Ah, I don't know. It's not going to be a big deal."

"Danny, you can't just wing this."

"Actually, I can." Danny looked over and grinned. "Listen, brother, I promise you will be the third…" he exaggerated counting on his fingers, "no, fourth person, to know when it happens."

"Fourth? I'm fourth on the list?"

Danny smirked at him. "Yeah. Cassie would be the first - well, technically, Cassie and I would be tied for first, and then Grace, then you."

"That… actually makes sense."

"Of course it does," Danny laughed.

Steve stared at him again. Danny looked at him and said, "Okay, that's it. Pull over; we're switching places." Steve swiveled his head forward again and Danny grinned. "You know, it really is sweet of you to be so worked up about this, babe," he said.

"Why aren't you?" Steve asked.

Danny laughed again, and Steve realized that he was had been hearing Danny laugh freely like that more often lately. Specifically, for the last two months. "Because it was an easy decision," Danny said, smiling.

"I don't know how to handle this," Steve said, still looking at his partner.

"Me being married again? Trust me, I'm still getting used to the idea, too."

"No. Well, yeah, that, too. I mean you being _happy_. It's just weird."

Danny smirked again. "You have a problem with me being happy?"

"No, I don't have a problem with you being happy. I'm happy you're happy." Steve lifted one hand briefly off the steering wheel. "Are you happy, happy? Or happy but worried the sky is going to fall any second now happy?"

"The sky's already fallen, in the form of a giant building, on top of my head." Steve turned to stare at him. "Look, I know bad things can still happen. Are going to happen. But, babe, my first wife left me, I've been shot more than once, poisoned with Sarin gas, had two buildings fall on me, lost one brother to a drug dealer, and had you as a partner for the past five and a half years. And yet, my daughter is amazing, I'm in love with an incredible woman, and I found a brother - a whole extended family - that I never expected to have. I'll manage." Steve was still staring at him. "Though if you kill us by reckless driving, I might have to take all that back."

Steve swiveled his head front again. "I'm just not used to happy Danny."

Danny squinted at him. "I think you might have to get used to it."

"I'm good with that." Steve lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "So what are you thinking so hard about?" Steve asked. "She's not going to say no, you know that."

Danny chewed on his bottom lip and tilted his head. He finally said, "I know. I'm thinking about a house."

* * *

Danny rolled over, realized he was alone, and looked at the clock. 3:42. He wasn't all that surprised she wasn't there, he just wasn't sure if was time zones or Christmas or something else that kept her from sleeping.

He carefully got out of bed, and made his way to the kitchen. Cassie was standing in front of an open cabinet, studying the contents. "Baking or rearranging?" he asked, leaning against the breakfast bar.

"Baking. I thought I'd get a head start on Christmas Eve cooking."

"You know you have another whole nineteen hours for Christmas Eve cooking, right?" She didn't answer so he wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Why the sudden need to bake, hmm? You should be sleeping."

"I'm a late night baker; it's fine."

Danny snorted softly. "It's four in the morning. Or ten, if you still feel like you're on East Coast time. We're long past late night, babe."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's fine. I've done very little but sleep for the past week. I'm more worried about why you're not sleeping, because I know you haven't been." He paused. "You want to talk about it?"

She stayed silent for a moment, and just when Danny was going to tell it was okay, she didn't have to tell him anything, she said, "I almost lost you, and I wasn't here. When I saw two Navy uniforms in the hall at work, I knew Steve was sending them to tell me you were gone. And then I couldn't make the damn plane fly any faster, and I realized for the first time just how far Hawaii is from DC." She shook her head. "I think that feeling is going to haunt me for a long time."

He ran a hand over her hair. "Would it have been better if you'd been here?"

She thought, then said, "I don't think better is the right word. Less helpless, maybe. But maybe not. I don't think finding out you got hurt is ever going to be easy." She was silent and still for a minute. "I thought I'd accepted the fact that you would be in danger. I've watched you walk out into a hurricane and walk back in unscathed, and it seemed like you were invincible."

He pushed her back gently so he could see her eyes. "And now?"

She shook her head quickly. "I don't mean I'm not okay with your job. I'm just still processing the fact that you can get hurt. I don't like that."

Danny cupped her face and ran his thumb over her cheekbone. "To be fair, I'm not thrilled with it either." She breathed out in a laugh. He pulled her back into a hug and held her tightly. "I don't want to scare you, but it happens. Have I told you the story of my first day with Steve?" She pulled back and shook her head. "I got shot." Her eyes grew wide. "Flesh wound in the arm, no big deal, totally Steve's fault." Cassie narrowed her eyes in question. Danny sighed. "Okay, so not entirely Steve's fault. The point is, we tend to get banged up a fair amount. But we always come home."

She smiled a little. "Best there is."

"That's Five-0. We are also the luckiest SOBs ever to carry badges." She laughed again, a little more strongly this time. "And, I have two of the best reasons in the world to come home, even if I get a little damaged in the process. So, I promise you, I will always do everything I can to come home."

She nodded. "I'm holding you to that." He studied her for a moment, and she put a hand on his chest. "I'm okay, Danny. I'm just processing and feeling protective of you."

He pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully. "You know, if you weren't here and something happened to me, I'm pretty sure SuperSEAL would steal the closest, fastest plane he could find, teach himself how to fly it, and push it to impossible speeds to get to you. The point is, babe, you're family now."

"Steve said the same thing." Danny looked at her in question, so she added, "That I'm family. Ohana. And for more than just because we're dating."

Danny knew Steve would always watch over Cassie if he couldn't be there, but knowing Steve considered her part of the family meant more than Danny had thought it would. You'd think after all these years, he'd stop being surprised by his best friend.

"Steve's right. Grace thinks that too, you know."

Cassie smiled, thinking of the teenager. "She told me."

"Good. She loves you - she trusts you - and I don't think I have to tell you how much that means to me." Cassie nodded. Danny walked her back so that she was pressed up against the counter, and he leaned into her a little with his hands on her hips. "I'm hoping I don't have to tell you how much I love you, either, though I intend to, every day, for a very long time."

She clasped her arms around his neck. "I think I can handle that."

Danny said in a more serious voice, "Are you sure?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't want to question you, and I know you've said you're ready to move out here, but now you've seen the scary side of this life. Is this what you really want?"

She held his gaze and said clearly, "I want you. I want this home, this family - this life."

Danny decided they needed coffee. He might not have a ring, but it was Cassie; bringing her coffee was appropriate and probably more welcome. "Good." He patted her hips once and let go. "I'm going to make coffee." He busied himself measuring coffee and water while she watched him bemused. He saw her look and shrugged. "You're not going back to sleep, are you?" She shook her head. "Then, coffee. 'Cause I want to talk to you about something."

She leaned against the counter watching him. After he pushed the button to start the machine, he walked back and leaned against the counter next to her, arms crossed. She turned her head to look at him, wondering what was up.

He watched the coffee brewing and said, "What do you think of this house?"

Her forehead wrinkled in thought. "I like it. It seems perfect for you and Grace."

He nodded slowly. "It has been. But you're going to be here, too, so it seems like it might be time to think of something that works for the three of us."

She turned to face him, surprised while he watched her calmly. "I thought I was getting an apartment."

He dipped his head to one side then the other. "You could do that, but I think it would be better if we cohabitated."

"You're not worried about Rachel?"

"I am not worried about Rachel." The coffee machine beeped and Danny turned to get mugs out of the cabinet. He poured them both coffee, and brought her mug to her. She accepted it gratefully, wrapping her hands around it. "I'm not worried about Grace, either. She'll be fine with you living here."

Cassie sipped her coffee and thought. Danny was watching her again, and she knew he wasn't finished saying whatever he needed to say. So she waited and drank coffee and watched him back. He acknowledged her use of his tactics with a smile.

"I don't want you to live somewhere else. I want to wake up next to you every day, go to sleep next to you every night, and bring you coffee at all hours. I don't want to waste any time that I could be spending with you. Maybe it's selfish, but I'd rather spend that time building a life with you and our family here."

He took Cassie's mug from her and set it on the counter, then took her hands. "I promise that I will keep you safe and that you will never want for love or family. I promise that as long as I'm breathing, I will find a way to come home to you. I promise I will love you until the day comes when I stop breathing, and even after that. And I don't care if it's five days or fifty years, I want to spend it all with you."

She took a deep breath. "Danny, that sounds like…"

He nodded. "They are. It is. I'll say them again at a more official time and location, but yeah." Cassie stared at him and he smiled at her. "I know, I said I didn't think I'd ever want that again."

Danny could see Cassie turning things over in her mind. She finally said, "I promised you that if you ever asked, I would say yes, and I meant that. I've known since I met you that what I want most in this world is to build a life with you."

She paused, wanting them both to get this right, not knowing how to ask the question, so Danny asked it for her. "Why did I change my mind?" Cassie nodded.

"I think I've always known we would wind up here, even if it took a long time. But my very smart daughter reminded me that I objected to being married because I'd had a bad experience, not because I didn't want to be married. And Chin reminded me that we don't always get the time we think we're going to have and we shouldn't waste any of it. And I've watched Kono and Adam be brave enough to fight for their relationship, and Steve run with a second chance, and Lou show that it can work really well." He shrugged. "Once I worked all that out, I couldn't see a reason to wait."

He tilted his head and added, "If you want a more practical reason, the legal stuff is important. If something else happens to me, I don't want there to be any question that you will be there and be able to make any decisions I need you to make. But I'm not suggesting we get married just because of the practical reasons. I want to marry you because I want to be married to you, more than anything. I want that life."

Cassie's breath caught at the certainty in his voice and how much love she could see in his eyes. She said, just as sure, "The life you're talking about? I want that, too, with you and our family. I want to spend every second of this life with you." She took a deep breath. "I promise that when you come home, I will be here. I can't promise not to worry, but I won't ever let it come between us. I promise that I will always have your back and that I will love you until the stars burn out." She smiled and Danny felt like the sun had risen. "There's nothing I would like more than to be married to you."

Danny slid his hand behind her neck and caressed her cheek gently with his thumb, while giving her a cocky smile. "Want to go make out under the Christmas tree?"

Cassie laughed, surprised and delighted. "You really are incorrigible." She rolled her eyes. "And yes, I do."

Danny laughed, too, and pulled her into the other room. She tried to point him towards the couch, but he carefully lowered himself to the floor next to the tree, propping his back against the chair. She curled up next to him, leaning back into his arms and tilted her head up so he could kiss her.

After some time that had Danny wishing he were further along in the healing process, he sat Cassie up and pointed her toward a box under the tree. "You should open that one."

Cassie raised her eyebrows. "Now?"

Danny nodded. "I know tradition is Christmas Eve night, but it is Christmas Eve and it's still dark outside, so I think it counts." Cassie grinned at him and picked up the long, narrow box. Danny put one hand over hers for a moment. "In the interest of full disclosure, I ordered this right after you left in October. I know it's not a ring, but maybe it will do for now."

Cassie was even more curious as she unwrapped and opened the box carefully. At the end of a silver chain, she saw an oval locket. The dark silver metal was carved with swirls that looked like galaxies with tiny chips of diamonds that looked like stars. There was one red dot that winked brightly and Cassie felt tears prick her eyes.

Danny saw her get it. He brushed her hair out of the way so he could fasten the locket around her neck. "We met because you were working on something that might go to Mars one day. And even when you're not working on that, NASA, it's always part of our story."

Cassie went back to baking after convincing Danny to get a bit more sleep. He tried to get her to nap with him, but this time she was too wound up for happy reasons. He fell asleep on the couch listening to her singing along to Christmas music in the kitchen, grinning because this was his life now and it was everything he'd ever wanted.

He woke up when Grace texted that she was almost there. She's gone back to her mom's the night before to give Danny and Cassie a night alone, and because she'd promised her little brother that she'd see him on Christmas Eve. Danny was proud of her for that.

Grace knew the second she walked in the door. She took one look at her father, who met her at the door looking happier than she'd ever seen him, and threw herself at Danny. "When did you ask? How did you ask? Was she surprised? When is it going to be?"

Danny held his not-so-little-anymore girl and grinned. "This morning, over coffee, yes, and we haven't decided."

Cassie heard the commotion and came to stand in the living room doorway. Grace saw her and whirled from her father to her friend and almost step-mother. She launched herself at Cassie, squealing in glee. Over the teenager's head, Cassie said, "You told her, I take it?"

Danny snorted. "Didn't have to"

Grace pulled back and said, "Was it romantic? Did Danno do it right?"

Cassie grinned. "It was perfect. It was very us and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Grace looked back at her father. "You're getting married here, right?"

Danny and Cassie shared a look and Cassie said, "I'd like to." Grace started to look hopeful, but before she could say anything, Cassie added, "It's not going to be a big production, dear heart. Neither your dad or I want a huge ceremony."

Grace nodded. "Just family, right?"

Cassie said, "Something like that, yeah."

Danny kissed the top of his daughter's head and said, "Hey, Monkey, why don't you go put your things in your room. We've got work to do, so we'll talk more in a bit, okay?"

Grace hugged Danny and then Cassie again. "Okay."

When she was out of the room, Danny held a hand out. Cassie took it and he pulled her close. "You don't want a huge ceremony?"

Cassie shook her head. "Honestly, babe, I'd be fine with the courthouse. It's be nice to have a party to celebrate with everyone - or two or three with all the various branches of the family - but I don't need a big ceremony."

Danny thought for a minute, then suggested a plan. Cassie agreed gladly and sealed her agreement with a kiss.


	28. Chapter 28

If anyone thought that Danny and Cassie and Grace were a bit too happy during Christmas Eve dinner, they chalked it up to Danny being happy that Cassie was moving there, Cassie being happy that Danny was healing well, and Grace being happy that it was Christmas.

No one even thought to tease Danny that he should have gotten Cassie a different piece of jewelry as a present.

Danny helped Steve carry some things out to his truck as Steve was leaving. While outside, Danny asked, "Hey, do you have anything planned Thursday afternoon? Need your help with something for an hour or so."

"Sure, Danny. What is it?"

"Ah, Cassie and I are going to take care of some legal stuff. I just need you to sign a few things."

Steve counted the days and frowned. "You found a lawyer to do paperwork on New Year's Eve?"

"Called in a favor." Danny grinned. "Oh, and wear something professional looking, would you? Maybe - possibly - even a suit? Or at least a tie?"

"Must be important legal stuff, partner."

Danny tilted his head. "Little bit, yeah."

"You need me to do anything else?" Steve asked.

"No, no. That'll do it." Danny waited a second. "Oh, well, maybe…" Steve sighed loudly. "Cass and I were thinking we might do dinner for everyone that evening. You know, it's her first New Year's Eve in Hawaii, so it might be fun to have everyone over, then maybe go watch the fireworks."

Steve immediately said, "Of course. That's a great idea." He thought for a minute. "Hey, you know, you can see the fireworks from the beach at the house. It's not as close, but it's still a pretty good view."

"Traffic would certainly be better if we didn't go downtown."

"Why don't you all just come over? We'll grill, sit on the beach, watch the fireworks."

Danny thought it over. It was a slight adjustment to their plan, but he was sure Cassie wouldn't mind. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it'll be great. Family dinner and fireworks for New Year's Eve."

Danny grinned. Steve didn't realize yet how much family would be there, if things worked out. "Okay, then. Thanks, babe."

Steve nodded. He got in the truck, started it, and backed out. Danny watched him pull out, then watched as the truck got a few feet down the road, screeched to a halt, and backed up far too quickly for Danny's liking.

Steve pulled back into the driveway and jumped out with the truck still running. He left the door open and walked back toward Danny.

He definitely had a look, Danny thought. Danny kept his expression mild and said evenly, "Forget something, Steven?"

"Did I forget something?" Steve looked at him incredulously. "I think _you_ forgot something, Danno."

Danny pursed his lips, pretending to think. "No, I think I covered it all."

Steve's eyebrows went up. "Legal something that you need me to do on New Year's Eve? In a suit?"

Danny shrugged. 'Yes, please."

They stared at each other for a full five seconds before Steve broke. "You're getting married. On New Year's Eve." Steve said it almost accusingly.

Danny nodded slowly, giving into a little bit of a smug grin. "Which is why it would be nice if you wore a suit."

Steve stared at him for another three seconds then suddenly moved to embrace his partner. Danny hugged him back, laughing gleefully. Steve said as he stepped back, "Why the covert action?"

Danny tilted his head. "Ah, neither Cass or I want to wait, and we don't want anything big. So, we'll do the official part at the courthouse and then have a family dinner after."

"Are your folks going to come out?"

"We'll talk to everyone tomorrow." Steve looked a little surprised when Danny mentioned they hadn't talked to their parents yet. "I told you, babe, you'd be the fourth person to know." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "It's not a lot of time to plan a trip out here, so we'll see who can make it."

Steve clapped Danny on the shoulder. "Okay, family dinner. We're going to make it an extra special one."

Danny could see the wheels already turning. He decided not to argue right then, but he did ask, "Ah, do me a favor. Keep this quiet for now, okay? We'll surprise everyone when we get to your house."

Steve nodded. "If that's what Cassie wants, okay."

Danny threw his hands up. "If that's what Cassie wants? What about what I want?"

Steve smirked and shrugged. "I'm giving her veto authority over any plans."

Danny started to argue, then gave up. He agreed with that anyway. "Fine." He couldn't help but grin.

Steve shook his head and muttered, "Happy Danny is just weird."

* * *

They called Cassie's family by video as soon as they got up Christmas morning. Grace said hi and sat nearby as Cassie told her parents, Jen and Zach, and Olivia and Lucas their news.

Jen held her hand out to her husband. Zach sighed noisily, pulled out his wallet, and gave her a five-dollar bill. Cassie laughed as Jen explained, "I knew you wouldn't make it through the holidays without getting engaged."

As Cassie explained the rest of the news, specifically their plan, Caroline held out her hand to her daughter-in-law and Zach doubled over laughing. "Mom said once you were engaged, you wouldn't wait very long," he said. Jen gave up the bill, grinning.

Dean hushed them all. "We'll start looking for flights and get out there as soon as we can."

Cassie and Danny traded a look. "We'd love it if you could be here, but understand if you can't. When I come back in January to move…"

"Or in March when we're there for spring break…" Danny added.

Cassie nodded. "We'll do some kind of reception for everyone back East, both the DC/Virginia branch and the Jersey crew."

Caroline said, "Oh, we'll definitely do something then, too, but we can make it in time for this one."

They called Danny's family next, knowing that Nonna would already be there, as would Danny's sisters and their families. Clara teared up immediately and Nonna gave them an approving look. Clara and Eddie said they'd look for flights, but also agreed that a March reception was a wonderful idea.

After the family calls, they sat around the tree and opened presents. Danny was so used to it just being him and Grace, but it felt natural to have Cassie there with them. Every few minutes, it seemed, Danny felt it necessary to brush her hand or lean into her arm or kiss her, until even Grace rolled her eyes and said, "Danno," dragging out the word. Which only made Danny kiss Cassie again, to which Grace responded with a sigh and a muttered "Adults."

They headed over to Steve's for Christmas dinner, carrying in food and presents. They got there a little before everyone else, and after Steve greeted Grace with a big hug and a wink towards his Christmas tree where there were gifts for her, he embraced Cassie while Danny went back out to the car to get another package.

"Still moving fast, I see," Steve teased Cassie.

Cassie laughed. "When you've made up your mind, why wait?"

"Are you sure you want to keep your big news a surprise from everyone?" Steve asked, letting her go.

"It's not that we mind if the ohana finds out, we just don't want it to be a big deal. And I love you guys, but you will make a big deal out of it."

Steve studied her and then glanced into the other room. "You don't want a big deal ceremony, or Danny doesn't want to make a big deal of the fact he's getting married again?"

Cassie shrugged. "Does it have to be either or? We'd go to City Hall today if it were open, but it's not. We still want it to be special, and celebrating with our family on New Year's Eve will make it just that much more so."

Steve nodded once. "Okay. Family celebration it is."

Danny carried in the rather large box Cassie's dad had shipped to him and set it down on the table. He flourished a hand toward it as he looked at Steve. "Merry Christmas," he said.

Steve looked at Danny, then looked at the box. He looked back at Danny, who raised his eyebrows and waited impatiently. Steve gingerly opened the box, took a look inside, and then did a double take.

Danny said, "Cass wasn't kidding about her dad being into classic cars. He's rebuilding a Cougar right now and had these parts he thought you might be able to use for the Marquis."

Steve picked a few things out of the box and then looked at Danny. "There's stuff in here I haven't been able to find anywhere, Danny."

Danny grinned. "Just promise me that you two won't spend all the time he's here working on your car." He tilted his head towards Cassie. "Mostly because my bride will be in the garage with you."

Steve looked at up at that and Cassie shrugged in agreement. "Your parents will be here?"

Cassie nodded and Danny added, "And mine. Plus, my grandmother and Cassie's brother and sister-in-law and their two kids."

"For the record, pal, this is starting to sound like an actual thing."

Danny shook his head. "It's still a family dinner, it's just a bit more family."

Cassie peeked in the box. "You know, if you want some help, we could get started on a project before dinner…"

Danny grabbed her hand and pulled her away, laughing. Cassie said, "Okay, but when Dad's here…" And Danny laughed even more.

* * *

The rest of the time passed both quickly and excruciatingly slow. Danny went back to the office, on desk duty, and Cassie spent the days with Linda or working remotely. She arranged to be back in DC right after the holidays to officially leave her job and pack her apartment.

She and Danny decided that they'd share their news of their marriage after the fact with most of their long-distance friends, but a few of them figured it out. Cassie spent a fair amount of time on the phone with Susan on Monday going over work, and at some point, in the middle of a discussion on points of contact, Susan casually asked, "So, when are you two getting married?" And Cassie just as casually replied, "Thursday."

Susan shrieked in glee and Cassie laughed and promised both details and a party when she got back in January. But when they hung up the phone, Susan found the number for the Five-0 headquarters and called looking for the head of the task force.

Cassie's family arrived on Wednesday morning and Danny's that afternoon. Danny got his parents and grandmother a room at the Hilton and Cassie's family rented a big house on the beach. By Wednesday night, Danny's house was filled with family and a large variety of cooking projects.

Grace was thrilled to see her grandparents and great-grandmother, but Danny loved watching her with Cassie's parents and Zach and Jen. And once Grace realized she had new cousins, nothing could stop those three.

One thing Caroline and Jen insisted on was taking all the women in their families to get Cassie a dress. Jen worked the phones before flying out and found a dress shop that had an excellent selection and would stay open late for them Wednesday evening. Jen left strict instructions for her husband to ensure that all the men had what she considered proper attire for the next day.

Cassie surveyed her extended family as they walked into the shop and realized that as much as she wanted to keep things a surprise, she was missing people. So she and Grace made a few quick calls, and within thirty minutes, Kono, Linda, and Renee were there. She swore them to secrecy, but knew she'd made the right decision when Olivia's eyes got wide as she met Kono, and Linda hugged Caroline and Clara with enthusiasm, and Renee and Jen and Nonna were thick as thieves within minutes of meeting.

Danny had much the same experience. Steve invited Danny, Zach, Lucas, Dean, and Eddie over for dinner and beers while the girls were shopping. They were grilling outside when Danny shook his head and looked at Steve. Steve smirked and pulled out his phone. Lou, Chin, Adam, and Max were there within minutes. Lou and Zach discovered that they had friends in common from Chicago, and Lucas and Max bonded immediately over a love of science fiction. Steve found some time to show Dean the Marquis, and Danny found them elbow-deep under the hood.

Late that night, back at home, Danny and Cassie swapped stories and decided that having their families together was the only wedding present they needed.

* * *

New Year's Eve dawned bright and clear. Danny woke up to find his bride reading in bed, though as soon as he opened his eyes, she smiled without looking up. He spent the next hour or so doing his best to distract Cassie from her book.

They both had expected family to descend on the house by late morning, but the mothers called saying that they were working on a few things for dinner that night, and they'd meet them at the courthouse.

Danny insisted on not seeing Cassie while they both got ready, and he left to pick up Steve while Grace helped Cassie get dressed. Cassie and Grace headed over to Steve's to pick them up, but when Cassie stopped the car in front of Steve's house, she noticed Danny walking down the front steps. She raised an eyebrow at Grace, who just smiled at her, opened the car door and ran toward her father. Cassie followed a second later, waiting for Danny to give his daughter a hug before sending her inside.

Hands stuck in his pockets, he met her at the bottom step, whistling in appreciation. "You look amazing."

She grinned at him and gestured at his suit and tie. "You, too, Detective Williams. I need to find more occasions for you to dress up."

"Ah, well. It's a good thing we're both dressed for the occasion, because apparently, there's a surprise waiting out back for us."

She studied him for a moment. "Steve decided the courthouse wasn't enough?"

"Ah, he may have had some help with that. Grace thought we needed more than just a family dinner after and our parents are already in there." He brushed his fingers across her cheek. "You okay with that, babe? We can still go to the courthouse and do this like we planned."

"Are you okay with it?"

Danny nodded. "I am if you are."

"I'm good with it. It's sweet, really." She slid her hands up the lapels of his suit jacket and around the back of his neck. "I can think of worse things than getting married on the beach."

"They won't let me back there, so I'm assuming there are more surprises." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "But Steve promised me it's just family."

"Family is good." He raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm happy, Danny. If Steve and Grace planned it, our families approved it, and you're good with it, I'm totally on board."

He dipped his chin. "Okay, then. We get married in Steve's backyard."

"Okay, then." She smiled up at him. "We don't have to go in yet, do we?"

"Ah, no. We're the guests of honor; I think they can wait a few more minutes," he said and lowered his head to kiss her.

A door closed and footsteps sounded. Danny unconsciously shifted a half step to the right to block the woman in his arms from whomever stood behind him. A throat cleared, and Steve said, "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to wait to do that until the end of the ceremony."

Danny slowly broke the kiss, but didn't look around. "Never pass up an opportunity to kiss a beautiful woman, partner. Especially if she's just agreed to marry you."

"I don't disagree, Danno, but if you'll come into the house you can actually get on with the marrying part."

Cassie silently laughed and leaned around Danny. "I hear there's been a slight change of plans?"

Steve smirked. "We may have made a few alterations." He glanced over his shoulder at someone and said respectfully, "Yes, ma'am." He grinned at Cassie. "To be fair, I turned the execution of this operation over to the experts."

Caroline moved around Steve and held out arms out to her daughter. "Dear heart, I hope you don't mind that we messed with your plans a little bit."

Cassie smiled and moved to hug her mother. "We're fine with it, Mom."

"Though I am afraid to ask what else you all have up your sleeves," Danny noted with a grin. As he and Cassie entered the house, he raised an eyebrow at Steve.

"You said keep it a surprise." Steve smirked. "I did; I just kept it a surprise from you."

Danny laughed.

Jen said from the doorway, "You didn't think we were going to miss the chance to throw a shindig, did you?"

Danny grinned and turned to look at her. "I should have known. We're not invading a small country or anything after dinner, are we?"

There were more hugs and finally Steve clapped his hands together and said, "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. There are a few more people outside and one of them is on a tight schedule. Given that he's the one performing the ceremony, let's move out and get this mission underway."

Danny shook his head. He and Cassie hung back while the rest of them moved outside and down to the beach. Danny said, "Mission?"

Steve nodded once. "Yeah, pal. A very important one."

Cassie kissed Steve on the cheek. "Thank you."

Steve said, "Today is going to be perfect. I promise, nothing's allowed to interfere."

"You promise we're not catching a case today?" Danny asked, dryly.

"I do, Danno. I have it from the highest authority that no bad guys will be allowed to interfere today. We are all free and clear until at least tomorrow morning."

Danny nodded sharply. "Right, Steven. And just how did you pull off this miracle?"

Steve opened the door leading to the beach, and beckoned the couple forward. Four steps out, Danny saw why Steve was able to promise the team wouldn't catch a case. He turned to the other man and shook his head. "You called in the big guns, huh?"

"Well, it was this or Admiral Rhodes. Given how he feels about us, I thought the governor was a better choice." Steve winked at Cassie and slung his arm around his best friend to turn him around for the walk down to the beach. He let go and stood straight when Grace took her father's hand, and they escorted Danny to where a little canopy decorated in flowers and ribbons stood by the water.

Cassie looked across the yard and saw Susan, Kate, and Ali, Linda and Tom, and Maggie and John among the extended Five-0 ohana and both her and Danny's families. Danny looked back at her, grinning, as he noticed the same thing.

Lucas and Olivia followed them, holding each of Nonna's hands. Eddie offered his arm to Jen, and Zachary kissed his sister's cheek then offered his arm to Clara.

When Danny reached the canopy, he shook Governor Denning's hand and hugged his team who were standing there waiting for him.

Cassie hooked one arm through her father's and the other through her mother's arm. "Walk me down?" she asked.

Cassie noticed family and friends, but she had eyes for only one person waiting for her. She grinned at him, since it had been all of a minute since she'd seen him, but somehow this was special.

Danny grinned back, knowing what she was thinking. He couldn't agree more. The courthouse would have been fine, but watching Cassie walk toward him being escorted by her parents was special. Surrounded by their family, this was everything they could have asked for.

Grace held up two leis, one for each of them. Cassie's mom gently placed the bright flowers over Cassie's head, while Grace put her garland of leaves and flowers around Danny's neck.

Governor Denning smiled at both of them and then addressed the small crowd gathered on the beach. "I can't think of a better way to close out a year and begin a new one than by celebrating a wedding, especially that of these two particular people."

"You all are here to celebrate Danny and Cassie joining their lives together, and from the crowd I see here, I know you all are just as thrilled to be as I am. I do want to note that this wedding honors two of Hawaii's heroes." Denning paused dramatically and Danny raised his eyebrows at Cassie. "Many of you are familiar with Detective Williams' work with Five-0 and of his recent actions that saved multiple lives. Ms. Wallace has already made an impact on many students here in Hawaii because of her work on the space program." He smiled benevolently and added, "However, she's also a hero to those of us gathered here, because, well, she's marrying Detective Williams."

Danny rolled his eyes as everyone laughed. "Great, thank you." But he grinned and nodded as Cassie winked at him.

Denning smiled and continued. "Actually, I've heard it's due to Cassie's influence that Danny considers Hawaii home, which is something I didn't think I'd ever see. And that's one of the best things about celebrations like this one. We're not just joining two people together in matrimony, we're honoring a commitment to home and family, to ohana. Anyone who knows Cassie and Danny knows that ohana is incredibly important to them. And anyone who's ever been in the same room as these two knows that they are so much in love. Our ohana is made stronger by the commitment they make here today." He looked at them. "Danny and Cassie, would you like to exchange your vows?"

Danny looked at the woman who had blown into his life a barely two months before. "Hey, farm girl, remember all that stuff I said a few days ago?" Cassie nodded. "Well, I meant it."

Cassie grinned and said, "Back at you, babe."

Their friends groaned and laughed; the governor mock-glared at Danny. "I know you wanted informal, Williams, but don't you think that's a bit much?"

Danny nodded. "Important words, right." He looked into Cassie's eyes. I thought getting here," he looked around at their friends and family, "would be difficult. Turns out it's one of the easiest things I've ever done. From the beginning, I knew you were special. Apparently, so did the rest of the island." Danny eyed the governor, Kono, and Chin, then turned to look pointedly at his daughter, Linda, and Susan while everyone laughed. Danny turned back to Cassie. "You ground me, remind me of the good things out there. I love you. I'm a better man with you in my life. And I promise that you will never be alone. You will always have family and love and home."

Cassie squeezed his hands. "I came to Hawaii thinking it would be a fun, productive work trip, and then I met this awesome kid who introduced me to her smart, funny, outspoken, overprotective father," Cassie grinned at Grace. "And within twenty-four hours, I was wondering what it would be like to just not leave. I fell in love with you, but also with your ohana and with this place. For the first time as an adult, I felt like I was coming home. You make me so, so happy. I love you, and I promise that you will never be alone. You will always have love and joy and hope."

Danny reached up and brushed a tear off Cassie's face. She laughed and put her hand over his.

"Do you have rings?" Governor Denning asked Danny.

"Do we have rings? Of course, we have rings." He turned to his daughter. "Right, Gracie?"

Grace held out her hand with the two silver rings. Danny took one, and held it out. The governor asked them to repeat the traditional words,

Cassie's smile lit up the beach as she spoke. She then took the other ring from Grace and placed in on Danny's left hand. He matched her smile as the ring settled on his hand, the weight of it feeling right and good.

Governor Denning beamed at both of them. "Danny and Cassie, it is truly my great honor, by the power vested in me by the great state of Hawaii, to pronounce you husband and wife." He looked at Danny. "Kiss your bride, man, and let's go have a party."

The whole crowd cheered as Danny did as he was told, pulling Cassie in with one arm and cupping her face with the other so he could kiss her deeply. When he let her go, she buried her face in his shoulder for a moment to regain her composure.

Steve nodded to Kamekona, who hit a button on the outdoor sound system Steve had set up, and Sinatra began singing _Fly Me to the Moon_. Danny looked at his best friend and Steve shrugged. "Little bit you, little bit her…"

Danny and Cassie exchanged a look and a smile, and instead of doing the traditional recession, they each reached out to the people closest to them. Danny surprised his partner with his hug and a whispered "thank you." Cassie hugged Grace and then Jen. And so it went from there, until the whole group was surrounded by laughter and hugs.

And it was a party. There was food and music and dancing, and lots of laughter. Kamekona swapped recipes with Nonna and Caroline, while Zach, Chin, and Lou swapped cop stories. Kono borrowed surfboards from Steve's garage and she held impromptu surf classes on the sand. Grace gave Danny and Cassie a book of recipes from both their families, with lots of space to write more.

Danny and Cassie stole a few minutes away from the crowd, but when Danny looked over Cassie's shoulder to where Steve was standing on the steps, his partner raised an eyebrow and nodded at her, asking silently if he could talk to Danny's new wife. Danny kissed her on the temple and stepped back a bit. "Steve has his serious face on. You up for a talk?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah."

"Go easy on him, okay?" He walked toward the house, nodding at Steve. When he reached his partner, Steve stopped him. "Listen, Danny. I just wanted to say how happy I am for you two." When Danny just stared at him, he continued, "I know what happened with you getting hurt was part of your decision to get married, and I promise it won't happen again."

Danny smiled slightly, and nodded. "You promise that some nut job won't try to blow up the city and take out a bunch of kids to do it? Or that I won't end up in the back of a bus again?" He shook his head. "Don't make promises you can't keep." He started walking again, saying over his shoulder, "Love you, brother."

Steve stared after him, finally saying, "Love you, too, Danno."

Cassie was smiling as Steve reached her. He bumped her shoulder gently, and said, "Good day?"

"The best. Thank you for surprising us, Steve. It means so much that you and Grace and our whole extended family did this."

Steve nodded. "I'm glad you were okay with us kicking things up a bit. You two deserve it."

Cassie looked at Steve. "So why do you have serious face?"

Steve raised an eyebrow. "You've been listening to Danny too much."

Cassie grinned. "I may not be a detective, but I know my husband's brother. What's on your mind, Steven?"

Steve shook his head, but grinned at her sounding like Danny. "I just wanted to let you know. What happened to Danny? I won't let that happen again. That's my promise to you: I will make sure Danny always comes home to you, safe."

Cassie turned to him and looked at him for a long moment. "I know. I worry less because he's got you." She gave him a little smirk. "Even though, babe, I hear that, sometimes, it is your fault."

Steve grinned back at her. "You know he loves it."

Cassie shook her head. "Safe, Steve. You promise to bring him home safe."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve said, and put his arm around the woman he considered a sister now.

Up on the deck, Kono stopped next to Danny, looking out onto the yard. "Everything okay out there?"

Danny laughed once. "Yeah. Steve's just realizing what it means to have Cassie as family."

"Ah," she said. "You know, he was really worried."

"As opposed to all the other times I've gotten shot, blown up, or had large concrete things dropped on me?"

She acknowledged his point with a small smile and a nod. "Yeah, well, you scared us all this time."

"Hey, Kono?" She turned to look at him. "Thanks for suggesting that Cassie take me with her on that walk."

Her mouth dropped open, and then she grinned and bumped his arm with hers. "About time, brother."

* * *

As they sat on the beach watching the fireworks light up the midnight sky, Danny held Cassie close. His new wife leaned back in his arms and then looked up at him, smiling. He shook his head once. "You know, the very first time you smiled at me, I didn't want to let you go. And the next time you smiled at me, from them on, I didn't want to be anywhere else but by your side," he said.

He could see tears sparkle in her eyes, and Cassie blinked a few times. "Thank you," she said softly.

Danny smiled, bemused. "For what, babe?"

"For listening to your daughter when we met. For vocally insisting that I not go out on my own, and for taking me for a walk on the beach. For being proactive." Cassie grinned at him and Danny lost his breath for a second. "For arguing with me about how many dates we'd been on and introducing me to your family and trusting me in my field of expertise. For being you."

Danny kissed her, an echo of their first kiss, full of promise and hope, and she kissed him back, sure in the knowledge that their life together was going to be wonderful and fun and, most of all, full of family and a joyful home.

_The End (for now!)_


End file.
